VCA Celebrates a Decade of Pikinini Cricket

This month, the Vanuatu Cricket Association and Westpac Bank will celebrate 10 years of the Westpac Pikinini Cricket League, a partnership that encourages children to get outdoors and participate in modified cricket matches.

To celebrate the milestone, a three-week competition will be held starting on Wednesday 21st September which organisers are expecting participation from more than 500 children from 17 schools around Port Vila.

Vanuatu Cricket Association's General Manager, Pierre Chilia, said,

"Through the partnerships, a lot of kids have discovered how much fun cricket can be, whether it is hitting a towering six, or bowling a stump out of the ground, or taking a diving catch."

"Someday these children could be the next Andrew Mansale, Patrick Matautaava or Simpson Obed. In fact, these players in the Vanuatu National Team came through the Westpac Pikinini Cricket League."

"We'd like to thank Westpac for their continued support of the Westpac Pikinini Cricket League since 2001. Without their support we would not be able to run our competitions and give our children a taste of sportsmanship, a sense of achievement and teamwork," said Mr Chilia.

Westpac?s General Manager, Shane Smith, said the Bank is proud to be associated with the League and contribute to the development of the sport in Vanuatu.

"It's been a great partnership. There must be thousands of school kids who have been given the opportunity to get outdoors and we're pleased to have played a part in their development as well as the growth of cricket here," said Mr Smith.

The Westpac Pikinini Cricket League will start on Wednesday 21 September at Independence Park. The League will continue on Wednesday 28 September with the finals scheduled for Saturday 8 October.

"We welcome everyone to come and cheer on Vanuatu's future cricketers," said Mr Chilia.