Indian skipper Rohit Sharma recalled his meeting with Uncle Percy and shared wonderful memories about him ahead of the game against Sri Lanka on Thursday. Rohit was grieved by the loss of Uncle Percy, who was one of the biggest supporters of the Sri Lankan cricket team.
After a protracted illness, Percy Abeysekara, popularly known as Uncle Percey, passed away on October 30 at the age of 87. He spent the majority of his life travelling with the Sri Lankan cricket team, for which he started cheering during the 1979 World Cup. Every time the islanders played, he was a common sight in the grandstand, waving the flag of the country.
Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Rohit Sharma expressed his gratitude to have met Percy Abeysekara during the Asia Cup. Over the years, he talked enthusiastically about his love of Sri Lankan cricket and his memories of meeting them in 2008.
“I was lucky to get an opportunity to meet him in Sri Lanka during the Asia Cup. He has been such a great fan of cricket, of course, the Sri Lankan team. He is probably the first-ever fan that I met who has genuine and the support from his side towards his team, towards the players was fantastic to see,” Rohit said.
“When I first went to Sri Lanka in 2005 for the U19 World Cup, he was there, I was a little boy, I had no idea about how things work outside the cricket field, I was not too much into that. But when I went with the Indian team in 2008, I saw him for the first time, I saw how passionate he was and I got lucky as well to meet his family, his son and grandson. They were very sweet. I went with a few of my team members,” Rohit Sharma added.
Due to Uncle Percy’s passion for cricket, he was able to connect with international cricket players. Notably, he got along well with Indian cricket players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Indian skipper paid Uncle Percy a visit at his house during the Asia Cup in Sri Lanka, demonstrating the warmth and regard that international players had for him.
It Is A Sad Moment For All Of Us – Rohit Sharma
Rohit Sharma expressed his sadness at the loss and said it was a terrible day for all those connected to the game. He also stated that it was a sad day for the cricket community as a whole.
“It’s a sad loss to the cricketing fraternity. In my eyes, he was the No. 1 supporter of cricket at that point in time. There are so many fans now. But the first-ever cricket fan I saw was him. Yeah, it’s a sad moment for all of us,” Rohit Sharma added.
Even as his health deteriorated in his final years, Uncle Percy’s love for cricket never wavered. He kept going to the big cricket matches, waving the Sri Lankan flag, and supporting his favourite side and is a big miss for the cricketing community.
