Photo Credit: Cricket Tasmania
To celebrate the International Day of People with a Disability, Cricket Tasmania – in partnership with New Horizons Tasmania – is thrilled to announce the staging of a feature match between their Northern and Southern Squads for players with an intellectual disability, at Blundstone Arena on Sunday 7 February.
Cricket Tasmania works year-round with New Horizons Tasmania; a community organisation that coordinates sport and recreation opportunities for people with a disability.
Normally a team would be selected from the players that make up the Northern and Southern Squads to represent Tasmania at the National Cricket Inclusion Championships (NCIC), usually held in Geelong, Victoria, in January. However, due to the ongoing and unpredictable nature of the coronavirus pandemic, the event will unfortunately not be held in 2021.
As recognised by the United Nations, the International Day of People with a Disability is celebrated annually around the world to promote an understanding of the issues people living with a disability face, as well as to mobilise support for the dignity, rights and wellbeing of persons with disabilities.
Cricket Tasmania’s General Manager – Community Cricket, Ben Smith, said it was important that the return of community cricket in a COVID-normal environment was just as important as competition at the elite level.
“We are delighted to be able to announce this one-off feature match for our players with an intellectual disability, and we couldn’t think of a more poignant day to do so,” Smith said.
“Whilst it’s disappointing yet understandable that National Cricket Inclusion Championships have been cancelled for 2021, we think it’s important that we can provide our players with as many opportunities as possible.
Photo credit: Linkedin profile photo of Ben Smith
“The match will be played at Blundstone Arena, which is the premier cricket facility in Tasmania – not to mention the home of the KFC BBL|10 hub – so it’s great that these players will get the opportunity to showcase their skills under the best-possible conditions.”
