Photo: Jamaica Blind Cricket team
The opening ceremony for the seventh staging of the regional blind cricket competition took place on Friday July 18, 2014 at the Rex Nettleford Hall at the University of the West Indies. Three teams will participate in this year’s competition, defending champions Jamaica, Barbados and a Combined Islands team.
Anthony Avril, the President of the West Indies Cricket Council for the Blind (WICCB) who spoke at the ceremony appealed for acceptance of cricket for the blind and visually impaired. “Blind cricket needs a place on the cricket calendar because it is cricket,” he implored.
“There needs to be more acceptance at the national, regional and international levels. A relationship is needed between the Blind Association and the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) so that it (the game) can be sustained,” Avril reiterated.
Fritz Harris, the General Secretary of the Jamaica Cricket Association who gave greetings said, “The sport belongs to everybody. The governments of the Caribbean need to recognize visually impaired cricket. I challenge the corporate Caribbean to get on board and support this form of the game and I laud the sponsors who are already on board such as Hi-Lyte, Sun Island and the Sports Development Foundation.”
“Walk with a friend and go watch the games, you will be thoroughly entertained,” he assured.
Billy Heaven, the President of the Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA) who spoke on behalf of the Minister of Sports, the Honourable Natalie Neita-Headley, announced that the competition had been funded to the tune of $1.5 million by the Jamaican government.
While lauding the long list of achievements of the Jamaican team in the regional game, Mr. Heaven urged the participants to “have fun and enjoy the hospitality being afforded to you. Make friends and play the game like gentlemen, because after all it is a gentleman’s game.”
Guest speaker Dr. Julian Cresser who has done extensive research on the game of cricket highlighted how many doors that had to be “kicked down” in order for cricket to become a game of the people and insisted that those in the game of blind cricket should do their part in kicking down doors in the quest for acceptance.
“Blind cricket is worthy of support, there needs to be an end to the marginalization of blind cricketers and include them as part of the mainstream as well,” Cresser implored.
Jamaica is the 6 times champions of the regional tournament and will begin the defence of their title against Barbados on Saturday starting at 9:00am at Emmit Park (St. Georges College).
Blind cricket is the only form of cricket where men and women participate together on the same team.
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