ICC East Asia - Pacific announces 21% growth in cricket participation in 2005

The ICC Development Program East Asia - Pacific (EAP) office today announced that cricket participation within the region's 10 ICC member countries grew by 21% in 2005

ICC Development (East Asia-Pacific) Media Release

03-May-2006

The ICC Development Program East Asia - Pacific (EAP) office today announced that cricket participation within the region's 10 ICC member countries grew by 21% in 2005.

This increase sees 32,804 participants now involved in formal cricket programs within the region, an expansion of 159% since regional research figures were first collected in 2001.

"Although we cannot yet compete in terms of participation with the region's long established sports such as soccer and rugby, this significant and continual growth over the past five years indicates that cricket's popularity within many non traditional areas of the Pacific Islands and Eastern Asia is on the rise," said ICC EAP Regional Manager Tim Anderson.

Such non traditional cricket playing countries within the region where the sport is now making considerable steps include Indonesia, Vanuatu and Japan.

Dutch-influenced Indonesia has junior development programs in Jakarta and Bali that include over 10,000 indigenous Indonesian children, cricket is widely considered the fastest growing sport in French-influenced Vanuatu, while the world super power of Japan received ICC Associate membership in 2005 and has 22 active cricket grounds.

"The extensive and sustainable growth of cricket in countries without a traditional link to the game demonstrates the success of the ICC Development Program's objective to take cricket beyond its traditional boundaries and become a truly global sport," said Mr. Anderson.

"We are, however, aware of the enormity of the task to continually build the popularity and brand of cricket within East Asia and the Pacific, and look forward to working closely with regional ICC member countries including Cricket Australia and New Zealand Cricket in order to meet this challenge in the future," he added.

The ICC East Asia - Pacific (EAP) region today also released it's 2005/06 Executive Summary. This document provides a review of cricket development activities that have taken place within the region over the past 12 months.

Some highlights include:

The EAP Regional team's victories over South Australia and Queensland in the Australian Country Cricket Championships. Four EAP players were selected in the team of the tournament. Courtesy of a Cricket Australia grant the EAP squad trained for two weeks at the Commonwealth Bank Centre of Excellence in Brisbane to prepare for this event.

The Melbourne Cricket Club and the EAP regional office conducted an equipment drive during the Boxing Day Test at the MCG where over 1,000 pieces of cricket equipment were donated.

The 2005 Ashes and Australia's summer of international cricket was broadcast live into the EAP region on ABC Radio Australia.

The continued success of the partnership program between seven state/provincial cricket associations in Australia and New Zealand and nine ICC member countries within the EAP region.

ICC EAP is a Partner Organisation of the Australian Government's Youth Ambassador scheme that places young Australians in developing Asia-Pacific countries. Youth Ambassadors are currently using the medium of cricket to assist community development in Fiji and Vanuatu, while three more ambassadors will soon be deployed to Indonesia, Tonga and Samoa.

Additional details of the ICC EAP's activities in 2005/06 can be found in an Executive Summary, available at www.icc-eap-cricket.com