Beyond the joy of playing cricket

17-year-old Oshani Malithi’s life in rural Ampara, in Sri Lanka’s Eastern Province, took a transformative turn in 2022 when the local children’s club got selected for UNICEF’s Sports for Development (S4D) programme. Having discovered her passion for cricket through the programme’s focused training, today she captains the local club team. 

“Before I joined the club, I didn’t know anything about cricket. The exposure to cricket is a great opportunity for me and other children in my village to get engaged in sports and interact with others,” affirms Malithi.

For many children in Sri Lanka, the opportunity to participate in sports is a luxury. Lack of individual and school capacity, social status, and social norms are some of the main reasons stopping children from taking part in sports. UNICEF’s S4D programme is designed to overcome these barriers and provide children and youth with more opportunities to participate in sports, develop social skills through peer interaction, and benefit from sports’ ability to bring together children from different backgrounds and abilities. The launch of the programme in Sri Lanka in 2021 through schools and children’s clubs provided an opportunity for many children like Malithi to learn and enjoy playing cricket.  

Under the programme, Malithi and other club members are taught cricketing skills by trained coaches.  The local playing ground where kids are trained has become a popular hangout for other children keen to learn to play cricket. Today, Malithi is at a practice tournament, playing against another local club. She leads her team to an effortless win, and her confident batting contributes to the larger part of the score.

“We practice here most evenings. Children from different communities and of different ages get together to learn and enjoy playing cricket and other sports.” Through these sports engagements at the club, Malithi has not only learned the technical aspects of cricket but also learned how to incorporate essential values like teamwork, discipline and perseverance.

“The experience I gained through this programme is a great learning opportunity. It has shaped my character, given me leadership skills, and an opportunity to meet and play against children from other communities.”

“Recently, we celebrated the Sinhala and Tamil New Year playing in Kalmunai – a coastal town about an hour's drive from here. It was a great encounter for me and my team to meet girls and boys from the Tamil communities in Kalmunai. It inspired friendships, and we better understand each other’s communities,” She recalls fondly.

"The S4D programme has encouraged social interactions among children. Now, we observe that even parents show a great interest in engaging their children in sports and club activities. This is a positive trend where parents are more involved in their children’s lives,” affirms Ms Singakkarage Chithralatha (40), a dedicated Child Rights Promoting Officer (CRPO) from Ampara District.

“This programme has enabled us to stay more connected with other communities. It is truly a great experience in terms of encouraging friendships and understanding among children from different communities,” she added.

The S4D programme is funded via the Australian NGO Cooperation Program of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and implemented by UNICEF Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka’s Northern and Eastern Provinces. The programme aims to strengthen social cohesion, promote unity among different communities, encourage engagement and gender inclusivity in sports and equip children with important life skills. Over 60 children’s clubs have benefitted from the programme and created opportunities for over 650 children and youth, particularly girls such as Malithi, in rural Sri Lanka, to learn about sports and play cricket.