Learn to play cricket with Maples C.C.

Cricket is one of the fastest-growing sports in Manitoba and in Canada. Cricket is the third most-popular sport in the world after soccer and basketball. One of the reasons, the game is growing in Winnipeg is a huge volunteer community effort to coach and develop young cricketers.

Over the past 15 years, a popular learn-to-play gymnasium cricket program has been run every winter by Maples Community Centre. The sessions are at the Leila North School (20 Allan Blye Dr.) on Saturdays from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. beginning Jan. 7 and running to April 29. Children from eight to 14 years of age are welcome. Registrations fees are just $15, and uniforms are included.

The senior children’s cricket coach is Kamta Roy Singh. The super-volunteer and former Manitoba cricketer is the long-time cricket convenor at Maples C.C. The businessman is also a cricket sponsor.

“It’s always a pleasure to work with the kids and watch them develop. Several of our youths went on the represent Manitoba, “he said

The history of cricket in Canada is fascinating. The game was first played in Montreal in 1785, and most Canadians do not know that our first prime minister, Sir John A. Macdonald, declared cricket our first national sport in 1867.

In Manitoba, organized cricket was first played on July 16, 1870, according to the Winnipeg Free Press archives. Most Winnipeggers have seen cricket being played on the pitches at Assiniboine Park, south of the pavilion.

The 1940s was the heyday of Manitoba cricket, featuring a peak of over 24 league teams.

Since 2005, the Manitoba Cricket Association has seen an amazing growth in the number of league teams, especially in Winnipeg. The Manitoba Cricket League now features over 60 teams in four divisions and Brandon, Virden and Winkler have teams in the league.

Garvin Budhoo, president of Manitoba Cricket Association said, “the phenomenal growth in Manitoba cricket is primarily due to the steady stream of immigration from cricketing countries as Indian, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Australian.”

For more information on the Maples learn-to-play program, call Coach Kamta at 204-227-4193 or Maples C.C. at 204-953-1190.