10 October 2010, Kabul - One hundred girls and 200 boys will spend three days on 11-13 October with members of the Afghan national cricket team and a female trainer specially brought from Pakistan, learning how to bat, bowl and field.

In Afghanistan, cricket is growing as the number one sport. Since the Afghan National team participated in the ICC World Twenty20 Tournament in May of this year, Afghans have developed a passion for cricket, especially the youth.

Also, the cricket team is eager to put something back into the community. ”When we were children in the refugee camps, no one was there to teach us cricket, we had to learn ourselves. It is our duty to share our skills and help build the future of Afghanistan,” said Raees Ahmadzai, tournament organizer and founder of the implementing NGO, the Afghan Youth Cricket Support Organization (AYCSO).

This year’s cricket camp also marks the International Year of Youth which is celebrated under the theme: Dialogue and Mutual Understanding. Sport encourages tolerance and acceptance. It can contribute to the physical, social, emotional, intellectual, psychological, ethical and cultural development of young people.

In particular, sport gives a healthy start and teaches important values such as discipline, cooperation and commitment. “Sports brings people together on an equal playing field that transcends social, ethnic and cultural divides, and a greater focus on sport can promote the development of important skills and attitudes that are key to the future of our youth,” said Peter Crowley, UNICEF Representative to Afghanistan.

Girls Cricket camp: 11 October. Venue: Sherzai Stadium-Youth Department
Boys Cricket camp: 12-13 October. Venue: Nangarhar Cricket Academy