Sports fraternity pays its last respects to Sharad Ghai
What you need to know:
- The late Sharad pioneered sports marketing in Kenya.
- He took Kenyan cricket to the international stage. Kenyan cricket rose to the dizzy heights of the 1999 and 2003 World Cups.
Remains of former chairman of Kenya’s cricket and tennis federations, Sharad Ghai, were cremated Tuesday at Kariokor Cemetery, Nairobi, in a solemn ceremony attended by family, friends, sports administrators and former sportsmen.
Only Sharad’s uncle, constitutional lawyer Prof Yash Pal Ghai, was allowed to eulogise the former sports administrator during the temple service at Shamji Araya in Parklands after a short prayer service held at Sharad’s house in Garden Estate, Nairobi.
Yash Pal Ghai paid glowing tribute to Sharad, who served as chairman of both Kenya Cricket Association (Cricket Kenya’s precursor) and Kenya Table Tennis Association.
REPRESENTED KENYA
Yash Pal Ghai said his nephew made their family proud and recounted when the former sports administrator and his brother the Atul Ghai represented Kenya in table tennis in Hong Kong where they performed well.
He described Sharad as a joyful person who disliked seeing anyone suffering.
The late Sharad pioneered sports marketing in Kenya. He took Kenyan cricket to the international stage. Under Sharad, Kenyan cricket rose to the dizzy heights of the 1999 and 2003 World Cups.
He was instrumental in brokering a Sh150 million sponsorship deal for national football team Harambee Stars by Kenya Breweries in the late 90s, the single biggest sponsorship by a single company at the time.
The local cricket fraternity, led by Cricket Kenya chairperson Jackie Janmohamed and Jimmy Rayani (former chairman of Kenya Cricket Association) were also present. Also present were Kenya National Sports Council officials Vanraj Serviaya and Charles Nyaberi, Kenya Table Tennis Association officials led by chairman Andrew Mudibo and local businessmen.
