New Delhi, July 12 : Save the Children India – Bal Raksha Bharat along with Street Child United, on Tuesday announced the seven teams that will represent India at the Street Child World Cup (SCCWC) 2023 in India
Children aged between 14 to 17 from non-profit organisations Bucket List, CHETNA, Hope Kolkata Foundation, Karunalaya, Magic Bus, Pro Sport Development and Salaam Baalak Trust will play against each other in a designated group stage to determine who will represent team India in the knock-out phase of the tournament.
In all, 23 teams from 17 countries will take part in the event, which India will host ahead of the ICC World Cup. In addition to cricket, the young people will also participate in a festival of art and a child-friendly Congress, all designed to advocate for the rights of street-connected children globally.
The tournament will be played in Street-20 format, designed to remove many of the barriers to participation. Each match is six-a-side, with equal numbers of girls and boys on each team.
The ten-day event will see street-connected children and young people from around the world competing in a mixed-gender cricket tournament.
“Across the world, street-connected young people live on, work in or are at risk of the streets. These young people are often stigmatized, mistreated, and marginalized. Their voices are rarely heard. The Street Child Cricket World Cup uses the power of sport to provide a global platform for street children to be heard, so they can receive the protection, support, and opportunities that every child is entitled to,” John Wroe, CEO, Street Child United said.
Anindit Roy Chowdhury, Chief Programmes Officer, Save the Children India sais: “The Street Child Cricket World Cup (SCCWC) coming to India is an opportunity for our country to host one of the largest platform for street connected children not just to play the game, but also make their voices heard. As participants in the SCCWC, some of the most vulnerable children across the globe will have a chance to represent their nation and tell the world about their existence and ask for their rights.
“SCCWC will create a platform for participating teams to speak about the issues and challenges that are most relevant to them and how governments, businesses and communities can support street connected young people to contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.”
The SCCWC 2023 will be the second edition of the tournament following the success of the inaugural event in London/Cambridge 2019, where eight teams competed, and Team India South emerged victorious after beating host England in the final.
The winners will return in 2023 to defend their title alongside seven other teams from India who will represent organizations from across different regions of the country.
They will be joined by teams from Bangladesh, Bolivia, Brazil, Burundi, England, Hungary, Mauritius, Mexico, Nepal, Rwanda, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zimbabwe.(UNI)