With over 8000 players playing in leagues across the region Hong Kong has a proud cricketing history. Now with their recent qualifications in the Asia Cup 2022, it will rub shoulders with major cricketing teams in the world.
Cricket is a game that requires a lot of skill, stamina, perseverance, and concentration.
I had the privilege to attend the first training session of the new season with Discovery Bays, DB Smashers.
The atmosphere around the training session was amazing, and there was a real buzz around the pitch.
The DB Smashers was started in 2015 by a cricket-loving member of the Discovery Bay community and greatly supported by many Tung Chung residents who wanted to teach kids the game of cricket and the values of the sport.
DB Smashers are one of the premier junior clubs in Hong Kong, winning leagues across all age groups and players representing Hong Kong.
The club is volunteer-driven. Coaches and Parents work together to ensure that all young cricketers get the best out of their cricketing experience.
The club is divided into four broad age groups:
U11- Players from the age of 6 start learning the game by using a softball. The main aim of this age group is to develop interest and fundamentals of the game.
U13 - Players are still in the learning stages of the game and are introduced to hardball cricket and coached to refine their skills.
U15- Competition and Training are more intense and players work on developing their fitness, stamina, and agility.
U17- Training sessions and competitions become even more intense and therefore the kids need to remain fit and agile.
Players are coached by professional coaches who have vast cricketing experience. All coaches are Level 1 qualified and have played the game at a high level including representing Hong Kong Cricket in global tournaments.
There are currently 40 players across all age groups at the club. Training takes place on the DB North Plaza Pitches on Saturdays from 4 pm - 6 pm and is open to boys and girls.
Over the last few years, the women's game has gotten more exposure. Lokesh, the chairman of the DB smashers, says there has been a good uptake of young girls playing cricket.
To promote longevity, girls are allowed to play softball cricket for an extended time. It lets girls develop their cricketing skills, as many take up the game at a later stage than boys.
As I watched the training session, it was great to see the passion players, coaches, and parents showed for the game.
The DB Smashers are a community club in every sense and represent the true value of sport at the grassroots level.
コメント