Overview
Kunahandhoo is an island situated in Laamu Atoll in the Republic of Maldives with a population of approximately 700 people. Cricket has been played on the island for 4 years with coach Lirgam Saeed being the instigator of cricket activities there. He has received numerous assistance from the Cricket Board of Maldives, namely in a monthly coaching allowance, equipment, pitches and recently funding has been provided for a storage room, concrete centre pitch and landscaping for 30 yard radius outfield to consist of grass.
There are 32 boys and 25 girls regularly playing cricket on the island with daily sessions in the afternoon before sunset. The coach also informs that many adults also play with womens particpation of particular note with regular friendly matches. Once the pitch is in place there is scope to hold a T20 Competition.
Purpose of the Visit
• Assist coach Lirgam in the running of the ‘Kunahandhoo Ramadan Cricket Festival’.
• Perform a review of the building work that has been carried out on the storage facility and the playing area.
• Lead some cricket activities with the players and understand their current development.
• Discuss the future plans of cricket on the island with coach Lirgam.
• Meet with the island council to discuss how the relationship between the Cricket Board of Maldives and their council can be strengthened.
Photo’s From the visit can be viewed here
Kunahandhoo Cricket Festival
The coach and parents on the island have organised a 4 team festival of cricket to be played on Friday’s and Saturday’s culminating with a Grand Final on Eid day. The teams consist of juniors and seniors with the majority being local. 2 matches took place during this visit and the format was 12 Overs, Tape Ball with teams typically scoring 80 runs per innings with the overall aim to have each team member bowl and bat inside a fun & competitive environment. C.B.M. donated trophies for player awards and the champion team.
Player Development
It is clear that coach Lirgam has achieved results on the island by teaching the basics of cricket to those playing. Whilst on this visit the coach also inducted another 20 young children into the cricket family and held a small presentation of practice shirts (donated by C.B.M.) to the children.
There are a number of boys and girls between 12 and 16 years of age that have the potential to become good club cricketers. However, they are lacking the exposure to an experienced coach that can develop their skills on a regular basis. It was agreed to monitor this and discuss some options with the Coaches Committee and Executive Committee.
Overall the players are keen to improve their skills and are excited to see the pitch being develop. There is also a requirement for a practice net facility on the island so that players can practice in small groups throughout the day without waiting for structured games.
Future of Cricket
Most importantly there is cricket being played on the island. There are new players being introduced to cricket every few months. Facilities are being created, albeit slowly.
The C.B.M. explained to coach Lirgam that we can continue to invest in facilities on the island as long as participation is increasing and once the pitch is ready to play regular cricket, it must be Hardball cricket and T20 format – Lirgam understood these and is ready to undertake.
There is scope for a practice half artificial pitch and practice net cage on the island and the corner of the football pitch has sufficient space for this to be created. An alternative space would be adjacent to the existing cricket pitch boundary in a reclaimed area.
