UNICEF, as a part of its 25th Anniversary celebrations of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), directed a cricket coaching campaign in collaboration with the Ministry of Sports, England Cricket Board and Sri Lanka Cricket for the disadvantaged children which was held at the R. Premadasa Stadium on Saturday(6th December).
The event was marked by the participation of both England and Sri Lanka national cricket teams.
As a part of raising awareness on the ‘Right to Play’, the children were guided through basic cricket skills by the stars themselves. Spanning from ages 8-16, the group consisted of 40 underprivileged boys and girls living in Colombo.
The UN General Assembly adopted the Convention in 1989 and since then, 194 states have ratified it, highlighting the global awareness in upholding children’s rights. The Convention includes components such as the right to education, health, non-discrimination and freedom of expression as well as protection from violence, abuse and neglect. Under the ‘Right to Play’ they understand expanding the opportunity for children to engage in sports and play, which is an integral part of childhood development, allowing them to gain information, personal and social skills to successfully marshal their careers.
“We were delighted to be able to dedicate time between our practice sessions for these kids” said Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews. “Cricket can be used as a force for good, a force for change, bringing healing and building teams and nations and all the players were happy to share our hat-tricks”
Skipper of the English side, Alistair Cook acknowledged the 25 years of fantastic service rendered by the CRC and gave his regards to the children who were fortunate to take part in this event.
Former cricketer and international commentator Russel Arnold expressed his views on the event, “It’s all about opportunities”. He was thankful to the UNICEF, saying it was “great of them” for initiating such schemes providing opportunities for young kids who strive to achieve greater heights in life.
Mahela Jayawardene, offered his gratitude to UNICEF for creating awareness for children’s rights and for ensuring that their rights are being looked after. He believed that we should begin from the “grass root level” and later expand it globally. The star was extremely delighted to see the young, cheerful kids engage in the programme, “Everyone here is smiling” he said. He furthermore eulogized Sri Lanka’s precious contribution in this wonderful project.
It was a beautiful sight to see the youngsters enjoying time with their heroes and it is greatly appreciated that the two teams dedicated time for this worthy cause despite their hectic schedules. It was indeed very special for these little kids.
ThePapare.com was happy to be a part of this great endeavour by the UNICEF for recognizing and addressing the issues faced by the children globally and the efforts to create a brighter future for the community.
