Oman has experienced much success in spreading the popularity of the sport by implementing the "Cricket4Her initiative" to facilitate the growth of women’s cricket in the country.
And with this successful campaign in 2023, Oman Cricket was crowned winner of the category "The 100% Cricket Female Cricket Initiative of the Year, in ICC Global Development award program.
The 100% Cricket Female Cricket Initiative of the Year award acknowledges all the outstanding initiatives delivered by an Associate Member to promote the game, either through a physical participation program or a digitally delivered game development initiative, throughout the year on female cricket.
Oman Cricket’s Cricket4Her program received this award after the project was launched to redefine the landscape of women's cricket in the country by implementing an environment which encourages talent development, skill enhancement, and the empowerment of women cricketers.
The program has already had a significant impact in the country as regular sessions were held in schools for both softball and hardball cricket tournaments.
A total of 16 teams have participated in softball tournaments and nine teams will transition to a competitive hardball cricket league later.
Such an initiative is not only providing a unique platform for participating but also creating a valuable pathway for young women and girls towards competitive cricket.
The events witnessed an overwhelming participation of over 300 women including schoolgirls.
Women’s Cricket Sohar emerged victorious securing a thrilling five-run win over Oman Tuluver in the outdoor event.
While Wadi Kabir Women’s won the indoor tournament defeating Muscat Tamizh Queens in the eight-over title clash in October 2023.
Oman Cricket Treasurer Alkesh Joshi expressed an optimistic outlook regarding the program’s impact, highlighting its successful integration into various Muscat schools.
Schools such as Downehouse Muscat, Cheltenham Muscat, and The Sultan School have witnessed active participation, with over 75 girls engaging in the sport and attending weekly training sessions, envisioning a promising future for women’s cricket in Oman.
“We are elated by this achievement. We would like to thank the International Cricket Council for this recognition. It will put us on a pedestal from which we can take women’s cricket to greater heights,” Chairman of Oman Cricket, Pankaj Khimji said.
“It goes without saying if the coaches and the team behind the initiative did not have the passion and commitment to make it happen, we would not have been able to attract these female cricketers, let alone making them stay, embrace the game and go on to play tournaments.
“We hope that we are able to take this to the next level, adding more schools, colleges and girls from local communities."
Oman’s men’s team most recently captivated the nation as they took part in the Twenty20 World Cup 2024, doing so for the third time in their history.
Oman successfully hosted the initial part of the 2021 T20 World Cup during a challenging phase of post-Covid era and their cricket academy and ground facilities were praised at that time.
The World Cup journey has only inspired the women’s team to shoot for the stars and emulate the exploits of their male counterparts.
With supportive programs like "Cricket4Her initiative", Omani girls will be inspired a lot and such an initiative can lead them to fulfil the dream of playing at a global tournament like the World Cup.
