Students from different schools unite to learn the 2nd most popular sport in the world
One hundred high school students from across Simcoe County united Friday for one purpose, to learn about the world's second most popular sport - cricket.
- Download the CTV News app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates sent to your email inbox
The Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board (SMCDSB) organized the event as part of an ongoing effort to promote inclusion through diverse sports activities.
The initiative was inspired by a ministry program to give Canadian students studying abroad a sense of home.
High school students from across Simcoe County learn to play cricket in Bradford, Ont., on Fri., March 24, 2023. (CTV News/Catalina Gillies)
Some of the students at the event were experiencing the game of cricket from childhood, like Grade 12 student Paranvir Banwaid, who emigrated from India.
"I have like emotions connected to this game. So when I see other people playing the game that I love, I feel very like the game is being promoted in a country where it's not, like, that popular, so I would like people to go crazy about cricket here also," Banwaid said.
High school students from across Simcoe County learn to play cricket in Bradford, Ont., on Fri., March 24, 2023. (CTV News/Catalina Gillies)
The students learned some of the game's terminology, including 'wicket' and 'googly.'
Bradford Cricket Club Founder Ankit Patel said the game has rapidly grown in Canada over the last few years and more recently in smaller towns.
"Now we see Alliston, Orillia, Barrie, Bradford, Tottenham, Shelbourne, they all are participating. We played last year with all the cities, and it really feels nice to have the community part of the game," Patel said.
High school students from across Simcoe County learn to play cricket in Bradford, Ont., on Fri., March 24, 2023. (CTV News/Catalina Gillies)
Students at Friday's event will use what they learned to introduce cricket to feeder elementary schools, creating more opportunities for students of all ages to learn the sport and grow the game locally.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.