March 21, 2023
Pooja Ganesh, a freshman at Marquette High, was awarded a Mayoral Proclamation at the Chesterfield City Council meeting on Monday, March 20, in recognition of her international success in the sport of cricket.
Chesterfield Mayor Bob Nation presented Ganesh with the proclamation during the council’s monthly meeting at Chesterfield City Hall and proclaimed March 20, 2023, as Pooja Ganesh Day in the city of Chesterfield.
“Pooja has been distinguished as an accomplished cricket player for quite a number of years,” Nation said during the ceremony. “We are privileged and honored to congratulate and recognize Pooja and her family.”
In December, Ganesh was selected to join the 15-player squad representing the United States at the inaugural Under-19 (U19) Women’s Cricket World Cup that took place in South Africa from Jan. 14-29. Ganesh and her teammates were the first women’s cricket team to represent the United States at a Cricket World Cup.
“Thank you for being here and supporting me,” Ganesh told the mayor, council and those in attendance at the meeting.
Ganesh, who attended Wild Horse Elementary and Crestview Middle, began playing cricket at the age of 6 at the American Cricket Academy and Club (ACAC) of St. Louis,
At the U19 Women’s National Tournament in Florida in the summer of 2021, she was named “Best Batter” and earned the opportunity to represent the United States in the U19 World Cup in January.
“Miss Ganesh has achieved global recognition, making her positive mark on history,” Councilmembers Merrell Hansen and Gary Budoor wrote in an email invitation. “Miss Ganesh has set a great example for her fellow students, other Chesterfield youth, and she has brought special recognition to Chesterfield.”
Read from the text of the Mayoral Proclamation below:
At the very young age of 6, Pooja began playing cricket. Her love of the sport motivated her to join the American Cricket Academy and Club (ACAC) in 2016. Coached by the well-known Ajay Jhamb, she has been playing with the ACAC since then.
Originally, Pooja was the only female on her team. That experience enabled her to develop extraordinary cricket skills that elevated her playing, and she was invited to participate in regular teams in acclaimed and demanding tournaments.
Time passed and Pooja traveled with the ACAC teams, playing in domestic and international tournaments representing multiple ages. At the young age of 13, Pooja became eligible for the cricket trials that would ultimately qualify her for the USA’s Under-19 Cricket Team.
At the USA Cricket Team trials in North Carolina, Pooja was the youngest female to try out. She caught the eye of the team leaders as she played with exceptional skills, way beyond her age group. Further, Pooja broke the national record for fitness tests, a part of the trials. Pooja was well on her way to national acclaim.
Pooja’s sports career continued to excel, as she played in intra-regionals, regionals and in the National Cricket Tournament held in Florida in August 2021. At the U19 Women’s National, she was accoladed with “Best Batter” designation, earning Pooja the opportunity to represent the U19 Women in the World Cup at South Africa in January 2023.
Pooja is committed to success in school, too. Born and raised in Chesterfield, she attended Wild Horse Elementary School, Crestview Middle School and is currently enrolled at Marquette High School.
Pooja and her family deeply appreciate the attributes of their hometown, Chesterfield. They are devoted to community service and that has inspired Pooja to earn the highest levels of recognition from the ACAC’s President’s Volunteer Service in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021.