Cricket club sheltering Indian students in Israel

Beersheba (Israel), May 17

A cricket club in the southern Israeli city of Beersheba has come to the rescue of several Indian researchers of the Ben-Gurion University in the Negev region after they had been struggling for proper shelter during the surge in hostilities in the region over the the past one week.

The Beersheba Cricket Club building, a two-storey structure close to the university which is actually a shelter house with an underground floor, opened its doors for the local residents immediately after rockets launched by Palestinian militants started to fall on Israel’s southern areas. The club extended the gesture to Indian researchers at the university who were looking for protection.

“Some of the Indian researchers also play for the cricket club and are like part of our family. But we told them that anybody looking for a safe shelter is welcome to use our facility,” said Naor Gudker, chairman of Beersheba Cricket Club.

“There are several Indian researchers staying with us during the past week, both boys and girls, and we have tried to make things as comfortable as possible, extending them all possible help,” he said. “Some of them are not fully aware of the safety regulations and me and my colleagues have tried to make them aware of all the precautions to be taken to keep them safe.”

The Indian doctoral and post-doctoral fellows who have taken refuge at the club expressed their gratitude for the generosity.

“The club has not only made Indian students feel secure but, in a way, has been pampering them. They have access to snacks, tea and coffee and can use the gym and the entertainment system… It helps distract us from the ongoing misery,” said Ankit Chauhan, a doctoral student. — PTI