Photo Credit: Cricket Hong Kong
The 2023 Cricket Hong Kong FairBreak Invitational is set to be held at the Kowloon Cricket Club between April 3 and 16. The first match of the competition will take place on April 3 at 11 am local time between a FairBreak All-Stars team and the Hong Kong Divas, a team consisting entirely of domestic helpers who work in the city-state. The game will be a ten-over-a-side contest.
FairBreak Global envisions a world where people have fair and equal access to opportunities that enable them to succeed in their chosen endeavour, independent of gender or geographical location. The Divas, who work six days a week and play cricket on their only day off, epitomize the ethos of FairBreak Global. It is, therefore, only fitting that this group of passionate and inspirational athletes opens up the second edition of the FairBreak Invitational.
Jennifer Alumbro, who played for the Warriors in the inaugural edition of the competition held in May 2022 in Dubai, was an education student and a softball star in the Philippines before she was forced to move to Hong Kong to become a domestic helper to support her family. She was one of the first players to join the team when retired umpire and local businessman, Animesh Kulkarni and domestic helper Josie Arimas founded it in 2017. She now captains the team.
“‘Oh, this is the domestic helper team? How can they do it? How can they train? Why they win every game?’” quipped Alumbro in an interview in 2022.
Indeed, the growth of the Divas is more than just a feel-good story. They currently play in the first division of the CHK Women’s T20 League. This season, they’ve beaten both the Hong Kong Cricket Club and Diasqua Little Sai Wan, who currently top the league and contain several Hong Kong first-team regulars.
Their second division team, SCC Pinay is currently topping Division 2 of the Women’s T20 League and their third division team, SCC Rosy currently top the Women’s Development League standings.
Alumbro is grateful for receiving a professional contract and being part of a professional environment at last year’s FairBreak Invitational. She believes it will help her improve her game and grow the sport in the Philippines.
‘Whatever we can learn here in FairBreak from the professional players, we can share it with our team and develop more cricketers in the Philippines,’ she said at last year’s tournament.
Christine Joy Lovino, another Filipino player at last year’s Invitational, felt a strong sense of pride wearing the flag of the Philippines on the back of her South Coast Sapphires jersey.
‘We’re happy to represent our country so it is the best experience to be here at FairBreak,’ she said.
Unsurprisingly, the Divas have gone on to form the core of the Philippines’ national team. Eight Divas were selected in the first-ever Philippines Women’s squad for a series against Indonesia in 2019. More recently, ten out of 15 players selected in the Philippines’ squad for this year’s South East Asian Games are from the Divas.
Come April 3, Alumbro, Lovino and co will have a global platform to show the world how far they’ve progressed since first coming together in 2017.
Tickets are now on sale for the 2023 Cricket Hong Kong FairBreak Invitational on TicketFlap — https://www.ticketflap.com/fai…
Visit FairBreak.Net for more information.
Hong Kong Divas Squad: Josie Arimas, Joan Badillo, Catherine Bagaoisan, Jonna Eguid, Mericris Hindoy, Lolita Olagiuer, Joelle Galapin, April Rose Saquilon, Eda Urdaneta, Christine Joy Lovino, Romela Osabel, Jenny Thompson
FairBreak All-Stars Squad: Sana Mir, Mignon du Preez, Hayley Matthews, Sophia Dunkley, Laura Wolvaardt, Shemaine Campbelle, Deandra Dottin, Katherine Sciver-Brunt, Lauren Winfield-Hill, Nicola Carey, Bismah Maroof, Phoebe Litchfield
