Stuck In CAA Protest In Assam For 2 Days, Odisha U-19 Cricket Team Returns Home

Bhubaneswar: Members of the Odisha under-19 cricket team, who were stranded in Assam for 2 days due the ongoing protests following the passage of the Citizenship Amendment Act 2019 in Parliament, safely returned to Odisha on Friday evening.

The under-19 players and its support staff had gone to Assam for the Cooch Behar Trophy and since December 11, they were stuck in a hotel, some ten kilometre away from Guwahati. However, the team with the support and co-ordination of Assam Cricket Association (ACA) and Odisha Cricket Association (OCA) reached Bhubaneswar yesterday.

Sharing his experience with OTV, Odisha Under-19 coach, Niranjan Behera said, "After reaching Guwahati Airport at around 7 PM on December 11, we got information about the curfew. While leaving the airport in our bus, we were stopped by the police. They later allowed us to leave for Nagaon after speaking with the association. On the way, we saw some protestors burning and ransacking vehicles following which we returned back."

"Later, we took shelter in a hotel with help from Assam Cricket Association (ACA). We stayed there for two days. Later, we were escorted by the police to the airport and we reached Bhubaneswar in the evening yesterday," said Behera.

Odisha's match against the home team in Nagaon on December 13 was cancelled.