MUSCAT: Oman was one of the six nations to have been crowned global winners of the prestigious ICC Development Awards on Tuesday. Besides Oman, the other nations awarded by the International Cricket Council (ICC) were Mexico, the Netherlands, the UAE, Nepal and Scotland.
The awards acknowledge the world-leading programmes delivered by ICC Members to grow the game and Oman won the 100% Cricket Female Cricket Initiative of the Year Award.
The six global winners were selected by an esteemed panel, from a shortlist of regional awardees, which spanned 21 emerging nations.The ICC acknowledged Oman Cricket’s groundbreaking initiatives and outstanding performances during the last calendar year.
Launched in 2002, the ICC Development Awards casts light on the world-leading work being carried out in ICC Associate Member countries to grow the game globally, whether through innovative development programmes or through inspiring efforts on the field of play.
Oman Cricket (OC) women’s cricket initiative came through their Cricket4Her programme, which provides unique participation opportunities for women and girls and a valuable pathway through to competitive cricket.
Oman’s Cricket4Her project aims to redefine the landscape of women's cricket in the country by cultivating an environment that encourages talent development, skill enhancement, and the empowerment of women cricketers.
The programme has already had a significant impact in the country through regular school sessions and both softball and hardball cricket tournaments, where 16 teams participated in softball tournaments and 9 teams have transitioned to playing competitive hardball cricket league, providing not only a unique platform for participation, but also a valuable pathway for young women and girls through to competitive cricket.
This year’s winners were identified from a long list of regional awardees announced back in May, and were determined by an esteemed panel comprising ICC Full Member executives, former international cricketers, and ICC global partners.
Speaking after the ICC announcement, Oman Cricket Chairman Pankaj Khimji said: “We are elated by this achievement. We would like to thank the ICC for this recognition. It will put us on a pedestal from which we can take women’s cricket to greater heights. “It goes without saying that if the coaches and the team behind the initiative did not have the passion and commitment to make it happen, we would not have been able to attract these female cricketers, let alone making them stay, embrace the game and go on to play tournaments.”
“We hope that we are able to take this to the next level, adding more schools, colleges and girls from local communities. Harnessing the family factor into cricket is going to be the major success factor for cricket in Oman,” he ended
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