One Dubai resident has taken his love for cricket to a whole new level. Shyam Bhatia, an Indian industrialist, cricket enthusiast and former player, has been collecting cricket paraphernalia for years. Bhatia attended every Cricket World Cup since the first one in 1975, which means he has lots of cricket memorabilia to put on display.
In 2010, Bhatia decided to open his collection to the public through a museum he constructed at his house.
Since then, the Dubai Cricket Museum has become a unique must-see destination for cricket fans and cricket players as well. Teams from South Africa and Sri Lanka have been wowed by Bhatia's extensive collection which includes over 180 bats signed by some of the biggest names in the sport as well as autographed helmets and jerseys among many other items.
The 371-meter gallery is located in the back garden of Bhatia's Jumeirah home and is the only cricket museum in the United Arab Emirates. Although the UAE may not seem like the most likely place for a museum dedicated to the sport, the Sharjah stadium does hold the record for the most ODIs . Additionally, Pakistani fans have been pleased with their team's performances throughout the Emirates.
Having founded and managed Alam Steel Group, which has become a leading regional steel company, Bhatia also started the Cricket for Care Foundation in 2007. Through this organization, he provides cricket starter kits to promising young players who are economically disadvantaged. Bhatia has also worked to develop the sport within the UAE by sponsoring tournaments and annual award events for local cricketers.
Why does Bhatia have such a strong passion for the sport? According to his biography on his museum's website he credits his personal success in business to the skills he learned playing the sport saying, "Sport teaches you discipline, teamwork, leadership, and integrity at an early age.”
“I always feel that whatever I am today, it is because of this game and the reason I started this museum was because I wanted to give something back to the game,” Bhatia told Al Jazeera .
Bhatia has also expressed an interest in moving his museum to a more public location. Although his home museum has already become a niche tourist destination, he hopes to find a venue more suitable to a public audience.
"I want to share these memories with the fans," Bhatia said to Al Jazeera.
Next time we are in Dubai, we'll have to swing by and check it out.