- Title: MOROCCO: CRICKET - Moroccan cricket board sets out to popularise the game
- Date: 3rd June 2010
- Summary: YOUNGSTERS PLAYING CRICKET YOUNG PLAYER HITTING THE BALL AND MAKING A RUN BRITISH AMBASSADOR'S SON THROWING THE BALL YOUNGSTERS PLAYING DIPLOMATS AND YOUNG PLAYERS POSING FOR GROUP PHOTOGRAPH
- Embargoed: 18th June 2010 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Morocco
- Country: Morocco
- Topics: Sports
- Reuters ID: LVA1AM628759U0KCD4OXTTFXRBD3
- Story Text: Morocco's sporting authorities set out ambitious plan to try and popularise cricket - a game which is still largely unknown in the soccer-loving Kingdom.
In a country where soccer is the national sport, the Moroccan cricket board has set out to try and popularise a game that is normally associated with Britain and the Commonwealth countries.
Unknown to many Moroccans, their country has had a national cricket team for six years and has cricket fields in the cities of Tangier and Sale.
Now the Royal Moroccan Cricket Board is trying to popularise the sport by introducing it into schools and by training a young generation of coaches and umpires. The Board also wants to raise the profile of the game at home by hosting international tournaments in Morocco.
The Board's chairman, Mohammed Nejjar, explained the strategy.
"We have established an ambitious programme with the aim of having 20,000 members through one essential channel: that is the Moroccan school. We signed a partnership and co-operation agreement with the regional academy for education but our ambition is to sign a broader agreement with the Education Ministry so that schools can be open to this game and also so that physical education teachers can be more open to other sports," Nejjar said.
Over the next four years, the Royal Moroccan Cricket Board wants to see 5,000 more cricket players in the Kingdom. It wants to establish a cricket academy in the country, set up summer camps devoted to the game, and organise a national league tournament and a 'Throne Cup' - a tournament thatwith the King presenting an award to the winning team.
A high-level tournament is already being organised for the summer of 2012, with the participation of the UK, Pakistan, South Africa and Bangladesh.
During a recent friendly match between the Moroccan national team and diplomats based in the Kingdom, the British ambassador indicated that the plan to popularise cricket had a lot of support.
"I and my colleague, the ambassador of Pakistan, and the other ambassadors of cricket-playing countries are supporting the federation. We want to take part, we want to play games like this to increase the level of public awareness. So, it's to help with the publicity, a help with the human relations and as it develops, we want to help with the introductions to the cricketing authorities in our countries," said Timothy Colin Morris.
The Pakistani ambassador said there was already a lot of enthusiasm for cricket in Morocco.
"Morocco is basically a soccer-playing country but I've seen here young boys coming from schools and there are many projects that have been inaugurated recently where cricket is being popularised in schools. So, I see a very bright future for cricket, provided we all work together," said Rizwan Mahmoud ul-Haq.
Cricket first began in Morocco in the 1990s, when Moroccans from the British Council played matches against officials from the British embassy and embassies of Commonwealth countries. The Moroccan players then went on to establish the first Moroccan cricket club.
The Moroccan national cricket team has been taking part in international matches since 2006, but because the spotlight has been on soccer and athletics, its achievements have gone largely unnoticed.
The national team captain says more people need to be made aware of cricket.
"We just need a little moral support, nothing more, because all sports in Morocco are suffering from a lack of material support. We have had a national team for six years and no one in Morocco knows that it exists. Not only do we have a national team and cricket exists in Morocco, but we have some very good players and we have taken part in some international matches. We did well for Morocco," Salah Mouridi said.
Cricket remains a minority sport in Morocco but those who have already discovered the game are confident they will be able to get others involved and perhaps one day watch their national team compete in major international tournaments. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: Footage contains identifiable children: users must ensure that they comply with local laws and regulations governing the publishing of this material.