A young Jewish immigrant from India, Solomon Varsulkar, has been awarded the 'Junior Cricketer of the year' by the Israel Cricket Association (ICA).
Varsulkar was chosen for the award from a list of young cricketers, all under-17, who have brought Israel laurels at the international stage.
Israel's Under-15 and Under-17 teams have performed consistently at the European Cricket Championship, winning three tournaments and finishing second in three others since they first began competing in 2001.
Varsulkar made a significant contribution in these victories by his orthodox spin bowling.
India's Ambassador to Israel, Arun Kumar Singh, who was the chief guest at the occasion, said that cricket is a strong bridge between India and its diaspora now settled in Israel.
"The Indian community here shows the same passion for the game as is seen in India. They also follow the performance of the Indian team with strong sentiments," Singh noted.
ICA Chairman Stanley Perlman, who is also a member of the ICC executive committee, also lauded the contribution of the Indian community in resurrecting the once dead cricket scene in the Holy Land during their early years of immigration in the 1950s.
Israel, an associate member of the ICC since 1974, has 18 domestic clubs in three divisions.
{{/usCountry}}Israel, an associate member of the ICC since 1974, has 18 domestic clubs in three divisions.
{{/usCountry}}All the teams winning league championships at the three divisions this year were predominantly of Indian origin players.