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Vol. 5 No. 2 (2025): Volume 5, Issue 2, Year 2025

Articles

Morphological Physiognomic of Divyang Cricketers in West Bengal: A Pilot Study

  • Subhashis Biswas,
  • Madhab Chandra Ghosh,
  • Mukesh Kumar Verma
Subhashis Biswas
Department of Physical Education and Yoga, ICFAI University, Tripura, India
Madhab Chandra Ghosh
Department of Physical Education and Yoga, ICFAI University, Tripura, India
Mukesh Kumar Verma
Department of Physical Education and Social Science, NCERT, New Delhi, India
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.34256/ijk2529

Published 20-08-2025

Keywords

  • Divyang cricket,
  • Inclusive sports,
  • Anthropometry,
  • Somatotype,
  • Body composition

How to Cite

Biswas, S., Ghosh, M. C., & Verma, M. K. (2025). Morphological Physiognomic of Divyang Cricketers in West Bengal: A Pilot Study. International Journal of Kinanthropometry, 5(2), 69–77. https://doi.org/10.34256/ijk2529

Copyright (c) 2025 Subhashis Biswas, Madhab Chandra Ghosh, Mukesh Kumar Verma

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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Abstract

Introduction: Morphological characteristics play a crucial role in determining performance, positional specialization and injury susceptibility in cricket. While extensive anthropometric profiling has been conducted on mainstream cricketers, limited research has examined Divyang (differently-abled) athletes, despite their increasing participation at competitive levels. This study aimed to investigate the morphological characteristics of Divyang cricketers in West Bengal. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted with 17 male Divyang cricketers (aged 17–36 years) representing West Bengal. Standardized ISAK protocols were used to measure body size, skinfolds, girths and bone breadths. Body composition was estimated and somatotype components were derived using the Heath-Carter method.  Results: Batsmen presented with higher body mass (71.4±10.7 kg), BMI (25.38±2.4 kg/m²), body fat percentage (19.9±1.5%), and endomorphy (4.91±0.4), reflecting greater adiposity and muscularity. Bowlers were leaner with lower BMI (19.38±0.9 kg/m²), reduced fat percentage (10.3±3.7%) and higher ectomorphy (3.99±0.4), while all-rounders displayed balanced mesomorphic dominance (4.47±0.4) with moderate adiposity. Somatoplot analysis revealed clustering toward central mesomorphy suggesting limited morphological dispersion compared to mainstream cricket. Discussion: The study revealed Divyang cricketers demonstrate less role-specific somatotype differentiation, with functional efficiency and adaptability taking precedence over positional specialization. Moderate mesomorphic dominance provides muscularity necessary for cricket-specific tasks, while elevated endomorphic expression reflects mobility limitations and lower access to structured conditioning systems. Conclusion: Divyang cricketers in West Bengal predominantly exhibit mesomorphic tendencies with positional variations but reduced morphological diversity compared to mainstream cricketers. These insights highlight the importance of disability-sensitive conditioning, nutritional strategies and targeted training programs to enhance performance and reduce injury risks.

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