Latvian Cricket: No Citizens on National Team – Federation Responds

The World Atlanta’s web page states that Cricket, as the second most popular sport, has an audience of about two and a half billion in the world, or fans. This sport is engaged in groups of enthusiasts in Latvia, mostly students from India and Pakistan.

The Latvian Cricket Federation is led by Sundars Vaidesvaran, who first came from India to Latvia in 1988, when he was still a student.

He says that the cricket is best to play in childhood, then it is easier to learn the game. Therefore, the purpose of the federation is to obtain the status of a recognized organization so that they can go to schools and attract Latvian children to cricket.

“So far, we are just playing friendship games and not participating in official tournaments. It is very important to get funding from the International Cricket Council to develop this sport in Latvia, which would allow us to go to schools – to do it in schools, to build some cricket academies where Latvians can come and master skills.”

Until the Latvian Cricket Federation is officially recognized by the Latvian Sports Federations Council, it must not participate in the official cricket competition outside the country, and to receive money from the International Cricket Council. At the moment, the Latvian Roofing Organization of the Cricket Federation is being recognized first, after all the criteria will be fulfilled, the Latvian Sports Federation Council will do so.

“This organization had submitted an application to become a recognized federation by receiving multiple instructions on shortcomings – primarily that this organization is not recognized from the International Cricket Council. Unlike a conventional Sports Federation, the Sports Law is delegated rights and authorization to monitor, develop and

“There may be ten cricket federations, but only one can be recognized.”

Although the Latvian Cricket Federation has yet to wait, the organization is organizing the Latvian Championship – nine local cricket teams are currently registered. They are also on the federation’s website. The first list shows the Latvian cricket team, which participated in several international tournaments in the summer – the Baltic Cup and the Amber Cup in Olaine, as well as the European T20 Cup in Poland.

These tournaments were attended by the Latvian team with no Latvian citizen. It led to sharp discussions on social communication sites and in the sports community.

The President of the Cricket Federation, Vaidesvaran, explains that there are no local players in Latvia, so foreigners play in the national team. The rules of the International Federation are not prohibited. The cricket team is allowed to play either citizens of that country or people living in a particular country for at least 183 days every year in the last four years.

“All the people who participate are either students, or learning or working here – people who live and stay in Latvia. They do not represent India or Pakistan here, but Latvia, and so they are called players from Latvia.

I think there is no better type of integration – people feel attracted to this country and carry the name of Latvia in the world of sport that is popular.

Over the years, we will have those Latvian players, “says Vaidesvarans.

An experienced Latvian television sports journalist Normunds Melderis believes that the start of such a Latvian national team in international tournaments is not correct. The Latvian team in any sport is a brand and quality mark and must meet a set of criteria. Nor does he think that playing foreign citizens in the Latvian national team contributes to the development of cricket with us.

“I think this is not really right. If it qualifies for the national team, it must be big – the first, you have to be citizenship and the other is a language. I think both the first and the second would be a big problem. Latvians who would like to get there will not.

The fact that they play, I understand – this is the most popular sport for them, even more popular in the region than football, and that is normal. Let them play in their teams, but do not do it as they were now in the Amber Cup, where Latvia was only Indians on the field and does not represent the Latvian team.

This is important to me as a citizen of the country, and its nationality must be earned. We see how difficult it is in other sports to be in the sample. “

The Latvian Cricket Federation hopes that, after the official recognition of the organization, it will be able to create a pyramid of children and youth in Latvia and in the world, so that only Latvians would play in the local cricket national team after 15 or 20 years.

About a month ago, Jaunolaine opened the first official Cricket Square in Latvia, and teams from Britain have already been interested in training and playing.

Report an error