Barbadian girls aged 6 to 14 are being given the opportunity to play the game of cricket at the Passage Road Playing Field, in St. Michael.
This is as a result of the creation of the Barbados Royals Girls’ Cricket Club by the cricket charity Bat For A Chance, in order to accelerate the development of girls’ cricket on the island.
Minister of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment, Charles Griffith, speaking at the launch of the club last Friday, lauded the programme and highlighted the efforts of Bat For A Chance founder, Will Gaffney; its Caribbean Director, Roland Butcher, and its Chairman, Omar Khan, for “bringing the Barbados Royals Cricket Club to the shores of Barbados”.
Mr. Griffith also stated that Government was willing to play its part in the programme by identifying talented young female cricketers within the school system.
He continued: “The National Sports Council is developing practice nets at our old location [Blenheim], and it will be good to see at some point in time some of these young ladies involved in the process, in terms of using that facility because it is being constructed primarily for our young people, as it relates to cricket.”
Barbados Royals and West Indies Women’s Captain, Hayley Matthews, who attended the launch, said that an all-girls club was needed.
“As a proud Barbadian and a cricket enthusiast, I am excited to see the launch of the Barbados Royals Girls’ Cricket Club. It’s more than cricket; it’s about empowering the next generation of girls. I fully support this initiative and look forward to visiting the project,” she stated.
Bat For A Chance is a charitable initiative set up by Will Gaffney. It aims to help underprivileged children experience the joy of cricket. It collects and sources clothing and equipment, both new and high-quality second hand, for dispatch to schools, clubs and academies all around the world.