A memorabilia collector & his own little pavilion
In 1952, his cousin gifted him Indian Cricket, a magazine featuring stories and statistics on Indian sports. PR Man Singh, who was in his teens then, became so passionate about cricket after reading the magazine that he went on a book-buying spree.
In 1952, his cousin gifted him Indian Cricket, a magazine featuring stories and statistics on Indian sports. PR Man Singh, who was in his teens then, became so passionate about cricket after reading the magazine that he went on a book-buying spree.
Little did Singh know that one day it would lead to him amassing a huge memorabilia of cricket books, some of them extremely rare. Today, he is the proud owner of a huge collection, called ‘Pavilion’, which has thousands of books on cricket, neckties worn by players from across the world and bats autographed by the top teams and players.
“A spacious room in my house was turned into a place for storing the memorabilia. My wife and son preserve the collection. They have given it the shape of a museum,” said Singh.
The octogenarian, who represented Hyderabad in Ranji Trophy and held the post of secretary, Hyderabad Cricket Association, for 16 years, was also the manager of the India team that created history by winning the 1983 World Cup under Kapil Dev. “It was my first stint as manager of the India team. It was an amazing experience to be part of the group that lifted the World Cup," said Singh humbly.
Though the passion for the sport can still be seen in Singh’s eyes, the sport in its modern form does not enthuse Singh. “Cricket is called the gentleman’s game, but they are no longer in existence today.”
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