Abhay Hadap Defeats Sachin Tendulkar-Backed Candidate To Become New MCA Secretary

Abhay Hadap on Tuesday defeated Sachin Tendulkar-backed candidate Suraj Samat to become the secretary of the Mumbai Cricket Association here.

Hadap got 196 votes, while Samat secured 141 out of the 337 ballots cast.

Hadap succeeds Ajinkya Naik as secretary, who was elected president of the MCA floowing the demise of former president Amol Kale in June.

Hadap has an experience of more than three decades in organising cricket tournaments in the city.

"I never even dreamt that I'll become the MCA secretary one day, or that I'll reach this level. This a common man's victory. My win was possible because of all the maidan club secretaries and cricketers," Hadap told the media.

"I have one year in hand and that is more than sufficient for me to do a lot of things for Mumbai cricket and the maidans. I'd like to work with the (MCA) Apex Council and our president Ajinkya Naik, whose motto is also the same as mine -- to serve cricket," he added.

Naik said he has seen Hadap as a sports administrator since his childhood.

"Hadap has been working for maidan cricket for the last 35 years. Around 25 years ago, when I was a kid, I played in the Ajit Naik Under-14 Tournament at Worli. Hadap is one of the pioneers of that tournament, and is still organising that event. Last season, (he) organised 105 local cricket tournaments," Naik said.

"He has been working with MCA since 2011. He has been associated with various sports in the last 35 years. When I was a kid he was the organiser of the Worli Sports Club tournament (Ajit Naik U-14 Tournament) in which Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane and most of the India players have played," he added.