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Hans India
3 days ago
- Sport
- Hans India
Nepal, Bhutan, Indonesia among winners of ICC Development Awards 2024
Dubai: The International Cricket Council has announced the global winners of the 2024 ICC Development Awards across seven categories. Launched in 2002, the Development Awards celebrate the innovation and initiative of the game's Associate Members, 'leading the growth of the sport around the world". The 2024 awards will comprise seven categories after the introduction of the ICC X Festival of the Year award. Bhutan, Indonesia, Namibia, Nepal, Scotland, Tanzania, the USA and Vanuatu are the eight Members receiving top honours. ICC Development Initiative of the Year Winner: Cricket Namibia The African nation wins the award for their Ashburton Kwata Mini-Cricket Programme. The flagship grassroots development initiative remains an integral part of growing the game in the country, and has been integrated into the physical education periods of public schools across the country, making cricket accessible to tens of thousands of students across 14 local regions. ICC Female Cricket Initiative of the Year Winner: Bhutan Cricket Council Board and Vanuatu Cricket Association For the time, two winners were crowned for ICC Female Cricket Initiative of the Year. The Bhutan Cricket Council Board is recognised for its Inter-School Girls' Competition, an initiative aimed at boosting female participation by introducing school-level contests using modified formats, starting with tennis ball cricket and progressing to hardball. Since its inception, the programme has engaged thousands of girls, including many first-time players. The Vanuatu Cricket Association is honoured for its 'Picking Wickets' programme, a hybrid model of remote and in-person coaching, taking place while team members also took part in seasonal fruit-picking jobs in Australia. ICC Associate Member Men's Performance of the Year Winner: USA Cricket USA received the award for their outstanding on-field performance during the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 last year. The tournament co-hosts stunned Pakistan and reached the Super Eight stage, with their cricketing feats bringing cricket and the Men's T20 World Cup in front of thousands through mainstream American television and news. ICC Associate Member Women's Performance of the Year Winner: Cricket Scotland Scotland receive this honour for a number of outstanding performances during the last year. In 2024, Scotland aced the ICC Women's T20 World Cup Qualifier to reach the Women's T20 World Cup for the first time. Captain Kathryn Bryce was named the Player of the Tournament at the Qualifier, leading the team to a historic qualification, which has provided a massive boost both to women's cricket interest and participation in Scotland. ICC Digital Fan Engagement of the Year Winner: Cricket Association of Nepal Cricket Association of Nepal's strategic expansion across Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, X, and their newly launched CAN Domestic Facebook accounts resulted in a total reach of approximately 117 million and an overall follower increase from a little more than 1.17 million to over 1.59 million, gaining more than 420,000 new followers. On Facebook (CAN Official), video minutes viewed doubled to more than 13.4 million, while the new CAN Domestic account achieved over 4.4 million minutes, showcasing domestic cricket's appeal. YouTube watch time surged by 277 per cent to more than 2.13 million hours, and Instagram views leaped above 40 million, captivating fans with highlights, player stories and live updates. Cricket 4 Good Social Impact Initiative of the Year Winner: Persatuan Cricket Indonesia The cricket board receive this honour for their launch of 'Cricket for Confidence' movement. It aims to empower schoolgirls across Indonesia's most under-served and remote regions through the game of cricket. In a country of over 17,000 islands, where structured sport for rural girls is nearly nonexistent, this initiative broke new ground socially, geographically, and culturally. Across five provinces, more than 300 schoolgirls participated in what, for most, was their first experience with organised physical activity. ICC X Festival of the Year Winner: Tanzania Cricket Association Tanzania received this award for their Cricket Festival in Dar es Salaam which brought together 120 women who formed part of their 'From kitchen to crease' programme which galvanised housewives, working professionals and even retired cricketers to take part in an inspirational day of cricket and sisterhood. Jay Shah, ICC Chair, celebrated the winners of the accolades while also emphasising the importance of these awards. "It is a pleasure to announce the global winners of the ICC Development Awards. This is a celebration of global exceptionalism, with all winners worthy of the accolades they have received in their mission to grow the game in emerging nations. "Each year, these awards put a deserved spotlight on the remarkable stories of growth taking place around the world and this year is no different. We join the world in celebrating the passion, hard work and innovation behind these successful initiatives. "I wish to congratulate everyone on their success and look forward to seeing these programmes continue to flourish in 2025 and beyond.'
Int'l Cricket Council
3 days ago
- Sport
- Int'l Cricket Council
Global winners of ICC Development Awards 2024 revealed
The International Cricket Council (ICC) today announced the outstanding programmes and performances that have won global honours in the 2024 edition of the ICC Development Awards. The ICC Development Awards were established in 2002 to celebrate the initiatives and innovative programmes leading the growth of the sport around the world, delivered by ICC Members in emerging nations. For the first time, the 2024 awards will have seven categories after the introduction of the ICC X Rexona criiio Cricket Festival of the Year award. Cricket Namibia have won the ICC Development Initiative of the Year award for their Ashburton Kwata Mini-Cricket Programme, Namibia's flagship grassroots development initiative. It has been integrated into the physical education periods of public schools across the country, making cricket accessible to tens of thousands of students across 14 local regions. For the first time, the ICC 100% Cricket Female Cricket Initiative of the Year award will be shared by two Members, Bhutan Cricket Council Board and Vanuatu Cricket Association. The Bhutan Cricket Council Board is recognized for its 'Inter-School Girls' Competition, a structured initiative aimed at boosting female participation by introducing school-level contests using modified formats, starting with tennis ball cricket and progressing to hardball. Since its inception, the programme has engaged thousands of girls, many of whom were introduced to cricket for the first time. Vanuatu Cricket Association receive its honours for its 'Picking Wickets' programme, a hybrid model of remote and in-person coaching, taking place while team members also took part in seasonal fruit-picking jobs in Australia. USA Cricket received the ICC Associate Member Men's Team Performance of the Year award for their team's success in the last calendar year, with performances that included qualifying for the Super Eight level of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup hosted by the USA and the West Indies. Their victories against Canada and a historic win against Pakistan saw them knock out the Babar Azam-led team from the competition, bringing cricket and the Men's T20 World Cup to the forefront of mainstream American television and news. Cricket Scotland have been awarded the ICC Associate Member Women's Team Performance of the Year prize for outstanding performances on the field of play which saw the Scotland senior women's team achieve qualification for the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2024 for the first time ever. Captain Kathryn Bryce, was named the Player of the Tournament at the Qualifier, leading the team to a historic qualification, which has provided a massive boost both to women's cricket interest and participation in Scotland. The Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) has received the ICC Digital Fan Engagement of the Year award. The organization's strategic expansion across Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, X, and their newly launched CAN Domestic Facebook accounts resulted in a total reach of approximately 117 million and an overall follower increase from a little more than 1.17 million to over 1.59 million, gaining more than 420,000 new followers. On Facebook (CAN Official), video minutes viewed doubled to more than 13.4 million, while the new CAN Domestic account achieved over 4.4 million minutes, showcasing domestic cricket's appeal. YouTube watch time surged by 277% to more than 2.13 million hours, and Instagram views leaped above 40 million, captivating fans with highlights, player stories and live updates. The ICC Cricket 4 Good Social Impact Initiative of the Year award goes to Persatuan Cricket Indonesia for their launch of 'Cricket for Confidence' – a national movement to empower schoolgirls from Indonesia's most under-served and remote regions through the game of cricket. In a country of over 17,000 islands, where structured sport for rural girls is nearly nonexistent, this initiative broke new ground socially, geographically, and culturally. Across five provinces, more than 300 schoolgirls participated in what, for most, was their first experience with organized physical activity. Tanzania has been awarded the ICC criiio Cricket Festival of the Year with Rexona for their criiio Cricket Festival in Dar es Salaam which brought together 120 women who formed part of their 'From kitchen to crease' programme which galvanized housewives, working professionals and even retired cricketers to take part in an inspirational day of cricket and sisterhood. Mr. Jay Shah, ICC Chairman, said: 'It is a pleasure to announce the global winners of the ICC Development Awards. This is a celebration of global exceptionalism, with all winners worthy of the accolades they have received in their mission to grow the game in emerging nations. 'Each year, these Awards put a deserved spotlight on the remarkable stories of growth taking place around the world and this year is no different. We join the world in celebrating the passion, hard work and innovation behind these successful initiatives. 'I wish to congratulate everyone on their success and look forward to seeing these programmes continue to flourish in 2025 and beyond.' The judging panel for the Global ICC Development Awards 2024 is as follows: Mike Baird (Chair, Cricket Australia), Kishore Shallow (Chair, Cricket West Indies), Warren Deutrom (CEO, Cricket Ireland), Ashley De Silva (CEO, Sri Lanka Cricket), Givemore Makoni (CEO, Zimbabwe Cricket), VVS Laxman (Director National Cricket Academy, BCCI), Samuel Badree (former West Indies men's player), Katey Martin (former New Zealand women's player), Cynthia McCaffrey (UNICEF India representative), Nitin Agarwal (Head of Marketing, Unilever International), Kass Naidoo (Broadcaster), Nikhil Uttamchandani (Broadcaster). Complete winners of the Global ICC Development Awards 2024 ICC Development Initiative of the Year Winner: Cricket Namibia 100%Cricket Female Initiative of the Year Winner: Bhutan Cricket Council Board and Vanuatu Cricket Association ICC Associate Member Men's Team Performance of the Year Winner: USA Cricket ICC Associate Member Women's Team Performance of the Year Winner: Cricket Scotland ICC Digital Fan Engagement of the Year Winner: Cricket Association of Nepal ICC Cricket 4 Good Social Impact Initiative of the Year Winner: Persatuan Cricket Indonesia ICC criiio Cricket Festival of the Year with Rexona Winner: Tanzania Cricket Association
Int'l Cricket Council
3 days ago
- Sport
- Int'l Cricket Council
Global winners of ICC Development Awards 2024 named
The International Cricket Council has announced the global winners of the 2024 ICC Development Awards. Launched in 2002, the Development Awards celebrate the innovation and initiative of the game's Associate Members, 'leading the growth of the sport around the world.' The 2024 awards will comprise seven categories after the introduction of the ICC X Rexona criiio Festival of the Year award. Bhutan, Indonesia, Namibia, Nepal, Scotland, Tanzania, the USA and Vanuatu are the eight Members receiving top honours. ICC Development Awards 2025 Categories ICC Development Initiative of the Year – acknowledges the outstanding development initiative delivered by an Associate Member, either through a physical participation programme or a digitally delivered game development initiative during the year. ICC Development Initiative of the Year Winner: Cricket Namibia The African nation wins the award for their Ashburton Kwata Mini-Cricket Programme. The flagship grassroots development initiative remains an integral part of growing the game in the country, and has been integrated into the physical education periods of public schools across the country, making cricket accessible to tens of thousands of students across 14 local regions. Namibia take out ICC Development Initiative of the Year | Development Awards 2024 Namibia once again set the bar for development to claim ICC Development Award honours. ICC Female Cricket Initiative of the Year – acknowledges the outstanding female cricket focused initiative delivered by an Associate Member to promote the game, either through a physical participation programme or a digitally delivered game development initiative during the year. ICC Female Cricket Initiative of the Year Winner: Bhutan Cricket Council Board and Vanuatu Cricket Association For the time, two winners were crowned for ICC Female Cricket Initiative of the Year. The Bhutan Cricket Council Board is recognised for its Inter-School Girls' Competition, an initiative aimed at boosting female participation by introducing school-level contests using modified formats, starting with tennis ball cricket and progressing to hardball. Since its inception, the programme has engaged thousands of girls, including many first-time players. Bhutan earn ICC Female Cricket Initiative of the Year accolade | Development Awards 2024 Bhutan shares the ICC Female Cricket Initiative of the Year honours in the 2024 ICC Development Awards. The Vanuatu Cricket Association is honoured for its 'Picking Wickets' programme, a hybrid model of remote and in-person coaching, taking place while team members also took part in seasonal fruit-picking jobs in Australia. Vanuatu claim ICC Female Cricket Initiative of the Year | Development Awards 2024 The Vanuatu Cricket Association shared Female Cricket Initiative of the Year honours in the 2024 ICC Development Awards ICC Associate Member Men's Team Performance of the Year – acknowledges the outstanding men's on-field performance of the year by an Associate Member team in an ICC event or bilateral cricket. ICC Associate Member Men's Performance of the Year Winner: USA Cricket USA received the award for their outstanding on-field performance during the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 last year. The tournament co-hosts stunned Pakistan and reached the Super Eight stage, with their cricketing feats bringing cricket and the Men's T20 World Cup in front of thousands through mainstream American television and news. USA clinch ICC Associate Men's Team Performance of the Year | Development Awards 2024 USA claim the ICC Associate Men's Team Performance of the Year honour at the 2024 ICC Development Awards. ICC Associate Member Women's Team Performance of the Year – acknowledges the outstanding women's on-field performance of the year by an Associate Member team in an ICC event or bilateral cricket. ICC Associate Member Women's Performance of the Year Winner: Cricket Scotland Scotland receive this honour for a number of outstanding performances during the last year. In 2024, Scotland aced the ICC Women's T20 World Cup Qualifier to reach the Women's T20 World Cup for the first time. Captain Kathryn Bryce was named the Player of the Tournament at the Qualifier, leading the team to a historic qualification, which has provided a massive boost both to women's cricket interest and participation in Scotland. Scotland named ICC Associate Women's Team Performance of the Year | Development Awards 2024 Scotland crowned ICC Associate Women's Team Performance of the Year at the 2024 ICC Development Awards. ICC Digital Fan Engagement of the Year – acknowledges the outstanding innovative use of digital platforms, campaigns or technology by an Associate Member to drive engagement with fans and the wider community during the year. ICC Digital Fan Engagement of the Year Winner: Cricket Association of Nepal Cricket Association of Nepal's strategic expansion across Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, X, and their newly launched CAN Domestic Facebook accounts resulted in a total reach of approximately 117 million and an overall follower increase from a little more than 1.17 million to over 1.59 million, gaining more than 420,000 new followers. On Facebook (CAN Official), video minutes viewed doubled to more than 13.4 million, while the new CAN Domestic account achieved over 4.4 million minutes, showcasing domestic cricket's appeal. YouTube watch time surged by 277% to more than 2.13 million hours, and Instagram views leaped above 40 million, captivating fans with highlights, player stories and live updates. Nepal win the ICC Digital Fan Engagement of the Year | Development Awards 2024 Cricket Association of Nepal rewarded for their digital engagement at the ICC Dev Awards. ICC Cricket 4 Good Social Impact Initiative of the Year – acknowledges the outstanding project where cricket is used as a vehicle for social change or development. Whether it be female empowerment, health, education, or community initiatives, the project will have used cricket as a platform to deliver and impact on wider social development issues during the year. Cricket 4 Good Social Impact Initiative of the Year Winner: Persatuan Cricket Indonesia The cricket board receive this honour for their launch of 'Cricket for Confidence' movement. It aims to empower schoolgirls across Indonesia's most under-served and remote regions through the game of cricket. In a country of over 17,000 islands, where structured sport for rural girls is nearly nonexistent, this initiative broke new ground socially, geographically, and culturally. Across five provinces, more than 300 schoolgirls participated in what, for most, this was their first experience with organized physical activity. Indonesia win the ICC Cricket 4 Good Social Impact Initative | Development Awards 2024 Indonesia wins the ICC Cricket 4 Good Social Impact Initiative award at the 2024 ICC Development Awards. ICC criiio Cricket Festival of the Year with Rexona – this award acknowledges an outstanding festival delivered by an ICC Associate Member that was part of the ICC criiio Cricket Festival pilot programme 2024 that has made a significant impact in promoting the women's game. The initiative should have successfully increased participation and helped create a legacy for the development of women's cricket within the country. ICC X Rexona criiio Festival of the Year Winner: Tanzania Cricket Association Tanzania received this award for their criiio Cricket Festival in Dar es Salaam which brought together 120 women who formed part of their 'From kitchen to crease' programme which galvanized housewives, working professionals and even retired cricketers to take part in an inspirational day of cricket and sisterhood. Tanzania claim the first ICC criiio Cricket Festival of the Year with Rexona | Development Awards 2024 Tanzania wins the inaugural ICC Criiio Cricket Festival of the Year award with Rexona. Mr. Jay Shah, ICC Chair, celebrated the winners of the accolades while also emphasising the importance of these awards. 'It is a pleasure to announce the global winners of the ICC Development Awards. This is a celebration of global exceptionalism, with all winners worthy of the accolades they have received in their mission to grow the game in emerging nations. 'Each year, these Awards put a deserved spotlight on the remarkable stories of growth taking place around the world and this year is no different. We join the world in celebrating the passion, hard work and innovation behind these successful initiatives. 'I wish to congratulate everyone on their success and look forward to seeing these programmes continue to flourish in 2025 and beyond.'
Int'l Cricket Council
06-04-2025
- Sport
- Int'l Cricket Council
ICC highlights power of cricket on International Day of Sport for Development and Peace
Cricket Switzerland's Integration Through Cricket Initiative was launched last year in response to a growing number of vulnerable refugees across the country and evolving challenges such as social isolation, language barriers and community integration. Through cricket clinics, friendly matches and broader cultural exchange events such as meals, activities and workshops focusing on Swiss language and culture, the project has directly benefitted over 200 young Afghan refugees, with the intention of using cricket as the common language for all to help break down cultural barriers and promote social inclusion. Elsewhere in the Europe region, another programme that has inspired communities has been Cricket España's No Boundaries Women's Franchise League. Established in 2024 to provide more playing opportunities to women from multi-cultural backgrounds, the programme convened players of all levels to represent six Spanish cities and compete for the prize of National Women's Champions of Spain over several weeks. With the project set for expansion into schools and grassroots clubs in 2025, it has not only provided positive social outcomes, but also competitive benefits, with several of last year's playing contingent having gone on to represent the Spanish national team. In the Asia region, one of the longstanding programmes that has sought to foster transformative social change has been the ' Cricket for Change/All' programme delivered by the Bhutan Cricket Council Board and UNICEF Bhutan. Using cricket as a platform to empower young people, promote gender equality, and foster life skills among children, the programme has a particular focus on improving the lives of girls and those from marginalized communities. Combining cricket training sessions with education around child protection, gender equality and essential life skills, thousands of children across Bhutan have benefitted from the initiative, which goes from strength to strength with plans to expand into remote rural communities in the near future. ICC Chair Jay Shah, said: 'The ICC remains committed to harnessing the power of cricket to drive positive change, and the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace is an important milestone that allows us to reflect and celebrate the outstanding work that is being done to realise this on a global scale. 'Cricket Switzerland, Cricket España and the Bhutan Cricket Council Board are just some of the member federations conducting inspiring work in this space. I would like to congratulate them and other active members on their achievements to date, and look forward to supporting more programmes of this type.'
