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ST JOHN’S, Antigua -- An astonishing 45,000 kids from 1,500 primary schools all across the Caribbean are now equipped to play cricket through the donation of 1,500 Kiddy Cricket kits funded by Scotiabank. The Kiddy Cricket kits, which include bats, balls, stumps and other coaching aids, were custom made for children between the ages of 5-11.

The Scotiabank Kiddy Cricket kits were distributed to primary schools for the academic years 2011 and 2012 as part of the revamped programme.

In addition to the new cricket kits, participating students in the Kiddy Cricket Skills Display have also received 1,700 newly designed cricket uniforms, which include Kiddy Cricket T-shirts and cricket pants, which are showcased in host territories during the annual Digicel Series held in the Caribbean. In stunning white and red gear, the branded uniforms and bright yellow kits form a colourful attraction on the cricket fields of the region annually during the lunch break of the international matches, as students demonstrate their cricketing skills and sharing the big stage with many of their heroes.

Scotiabank and the West Indies Cricket Board have also provided technical coaching staff in over fourteen territories across the region to train students in the fundamentals of batting, bowling, fielding and wicket keeping.

The coaching personnel have expanded annually to meet the needs of the growing Kiddy Cricket programme. Over the past two years coaching workshops have been ongoing and geared towards equipping PE teachers and volunteers with recreational level cricket coaching skills which has widened the programme’s coaching scope at the primary school level. Thus far, Jamaica, Montserrat, Antigua, Dominica, Grenada, Trinidad & Tobago, St Lucia and St Vincent have benefited for the workshops. Coaching workshops are also scheduled to be staged in Barbados, Guyana, USVI, BVI and Anguilla shortly.

Commenting on its donation, Scotiabank's regional sponsorship manager, Simone Hull said, “Cricket has been long described as being an expensive sport requiring several different pieces of equipment, the appropriate gear, and technical staff to properly teach the game. These items can be very expensive and prohibit many keen youngsters and their schools from playing the game. We want to ensure that the legacy of West Indies Cricket is passed on to the next generation and that they are well equipped to play the sport.”

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