The post-lunch session of the Giles Shield Elite Div encounter at Azad Maidan between Al-Barkaat MMI (Kurla) and Parle Tilak Vidyalaya was held up by over 30 minutes due to a morcha by members of the Maharashtra Rajya Anganwadi Kriti Samiti protesting for an increase in pay and pension.
One of the umpires officiating the match, Prakash Patil said: “Immediately after the police opened the Azad Maidan gate around lunch time, thousands of anganwadi workers entered the playing area and began having lunch.
Pic/ Shadab Khan
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Some even took a nap. We told them that the ball could hurt them, but they didn’t move. Later, when some of them got hurt, they began fighting with us.”
Kanu Gurav, an anganwadi worker from Mahad, who was hit by the ball on her knee said: “This morcha is more important than a match.”