Published: Wednesday 23 March 2022
Cricket-mad Afghan evacuees have been able to return to playing the game they love thanks to special sessions arranged by Kensington and Chelsea Council.
The weekly sporting sessions, which include fitness drills, coaching and matches, have given youngsters staying at hotels in the borough their first opportunity to play cricket since leaving Afghanistan in summer 2021.
The fun-filled training, which caters for around 30 players each week, is led by the Council’s Head of Leisure and Parks and cricket enthusiast Ullash Karia. He worked with the Council’s Hotel Outreach Teams, which support the evacuees on a day-to-day-basis, to set up the sessions to give the evacuees a chance to let off steam.
Ullash Karia, Kensington and Chelsea Council’s Head of Leisure and Parks, said:
“These young people have been through a tremendous amount, and these sessions given them an opportunity to play cricket and do something that they enjoy.
“They have a cultural connection with cricket as it’s a sport that they played back home, and being able to play again gives them a solid base and a lot of confidence.
“The main thing for me is seeing how much they enjoy it. You only need to see their smiles on their faces to know what it means to them.”
Basir, a keen cricketer who attends the sessions, said:
“We really enjoy being able to play cricket with friends. It is one of our favourite sports – when I was back in Afghanistan I used to play and I really enjoyed it.
“Since arriving in the UK we hadn’t had any chance to play cricket, but now we come here and can play again.
“It was really hard to leave our home country, especially in a hurry as we were evacuated. By playing cricket we can have fun and forget the pain we have suffered from the situation back in Afghanistan.”
Cllr Emma Will, Lead Member for Culture, Leisure and Community Safety, said:
“Sport has a universal ability to bring people together and build a sense of confidence and community, which is especially important for these young evacuees who were forced to leave their homes in such traumatic circumstances.
“After all they have been through, it’s humbling to see the sheer enjoyment that the players get from being able to pick up a bat and ball and simply enjoy having fun with their friends.”