Thailand's U-19s

"It's a revolution in Thailand," says Cricket Association of Thailand Chief Executive Mohideen Kader. Cricket is now firmly established as a part of the Thai sporting landscape with its introduction into the 10,000 athlete, 30-event National Youth Games currently going on in Phetchabun province in north-central Thailand. "There's been tremendous interest from Thai TV and journalists in cricket and even on our rest-day the organisers have asked us to play a demonstration game and run a coaching session so that more people can get to see cricket," adds Mr. Kader. Eighty children who had never before played cricket took part in the coaching, attended to by national players John Hottinger and Noppon Senamontree.

11 men’s and 9 women’s teams applied to take part in this year’s Youth Games, the organisers ultimately limiting the teams to twelve. “Next time in Uttaradit in 2012 there’ll be even more, with the added advantage that the host province has to field a team, meaning that cricket will have gone to another new place,” says the CAT Chief Executive.

In 2002 when development started, the game was confined to Bangkok, with sporadic Sixes cricket in Phuket and Chiang Mai. Since then coaches have travelled to schools in a number of provinces in order to encourage the take-up of cricket. The result has been Thai boys and girls playing in increasing numbers and winning places in the national team.

Related:
Thailand Cricket Profile

Filed March 24th, 2010