Photo Credit: Queensland Cricket
The annual Multicultural Community Inclusion and Engagement Goodwill Trophy is once again scheduled to take place at Allan Border field on Friday, the 4th of August.
The 2023 fixture will be the very first time that match will be played under lights and will showcase an exhilarating cricket contest between the Institute for Australia India Engagement (IAIE) South Asia XI and the QLD Police Commissioner’s XI, featuring prominent former QLD players, promising an enthralling contest of sportsmanship, culture and talent.
The momentous occasion is being supported by Multicultural Australia and the QLD Government, firmly dedicated to promoting unity and fellowship among diverse communities. The Goodwill Trophy endeavours to bridge cultures and foster an atmosphere of mutual respect and harmony through the medium of sportsmanship and cricketing spirit.
Notably, the event aims to cater to all age groups, offering a delightful array of activities for children, thoughtfully curated to keep them engaged and entertained throughout the proceedings. Additionally, the culinary enthusiasts among the attendees will be delighted with the presence of numerous food trucks encircling the venue.
Queensland Cricket’s Multicultural Project Officer, Dr Ashutosh Misra, spoke of the journey of the Goodwill Trophy from minor community event to the grand scale occasion that it has become.
“The first Goodwill Trophy was held at the Eddie Gilbert Field, Wolston Park, Wacol in outer southwest Brisbane three years ago,” he said.
He continued, “Not only are we able to play such a significant match at the home of QLD Cricket under lights, but we have also increased our representation of players from several communities such as India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.”
The Goodwill Cup is one of many programs and initiatives that Queensland Cricket has supported over the past 12 months as part of the T20 World Cup legacy project and moves towards building the national cricket multicultural engagement plan. Queensland’s Community Cricket Operations Manager John Butterworth described how Queensland’s connection with the south Asian community has grown over time.
“Outside of a number of events such as the multination cup, and some social tapedball events, we’ve been able to establish strong relationships with prominent members of the south Asian community such as the Nepalese Cricket Association and the Bangladesh Association in Brisbane.” He spoke.
The Goodwill Trophy is a not-to-be-missed event and is poised to celebrate the shared love for cricket while appreciating the rich cultural diversity within the South Asian communities in Australia. Festivities will begin from 5pm, with the official match set to start at 5:30pm. There will be food trucks, Brisbane Heat hit zone for kids, multicultural performances and QPS Pipe and bang performance, and interaction with the Queensland Police Horse Mounted Unit and the Dog Unit.
