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UK Sport helping to develop Cricket in Cuba

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Mairi Irvine 15 November 2006

Young cricketers from Cuba have benefited from some specialist coaching from the London Community Cricket Association (LCCA), who have just returned from a 10-day visit to the island. The coaching is part of a wider cricket development programme that is being funded by UK Sport, as part of their Memoranda of Understanding with the Cuban Sports Ministry.

These recent initiatives are the first of a three-year plan for the sport, which include talent identification, coach education and the training of umpires and scorers as well as player development.

UK Sport’s Head of Worldwide Development, Debbie Lye, explains the significance of the project:

“The aim of the Cuban MOU was to develop sporting links between the UK and Cuba and to assist the Cuban authorities in developing links with the rest of the cricket world, particularly in the Caribbean. In order to achieve these aims for cricket we commissioned the LCCA to run a development programme – this visit is the first in a series of visits planned.

“We’re delighted at the progress already being made . The LCCA held an intensive five-day workshop for fifteen coaches and eight umpires and scorers received training, whilst player development work focused on increasing their batting skills and tactical awareness. There is some exceptional raw talent already evident amongst the junior players and it's a real prospect that Cuban players will make the West Indies squad within the next few years"

The November trip was also used as an opportunity to identify additional initiatives that could be put in place to support the core principles of the development programme and to firm up a number of proposals including an international competition between Cuba, Jamaica, the UK and India early next year.
 

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