Focus areas

Cricket for Children

UNICEF recognizes the critical role of sport and physical play in children’s lives. According to article 31 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child: States shall “recognize the right of the child to rest and leisure, to engage in play and recreational activities appropriate to the age of the child and to participate freely in cultural life and the arts.

The concept of sport for development espouses that sport is not just an end in itself, but an effective tool to help improve the lives of children, families and communities. Regular physical activity is essential for the physical, mental, psychological and social development of children and adolescents. Sport can be an effective programmatic tool to help achieve goals in health, education, gender equality, HIV/AIDS, child protection and child development.

Since 2009, UNICEF been using cricket to support programmes to reach children and adolescents, including former child soldiers, refugee, displaced and other vulnerable children. Initiatives like ‘Cricket for Children’ have been jointly implemented in keen partnership with Sri Lanka Cricket, International Cricket Council, Cricket for Change and Government Ministries. Cricket has helped empower these children to learn values and lessons that will last a life time.