Partnership aims to identify cricket talents in Lae

By ROBINSON LEKA
A SCHOOLS programme has partnered with Lae Cricket Association to help identify and trial talented students from across Morobe, according to an official.
THE Bank South Pacific Financial Limited Group Schools Cricket programme this week officially partnered with the Lae Cricket Association to help in its talent identification and trialling of students within their respective provinces.
Bank South Pacific Financial Group Limited School Kriket programme manager Margaret Sibona told The National that the partnership was part of Cricket Papua New Guinea’s plans.
“The partnership is something we’ve been trying to do for some time now because we want the associations to be a part of our development pathways for players,” she said last week.
“We want our regional development cricket managers to work with associations so students can be picked for local teams.
“Children who come out from the programme are sent to our talent identification team and they are also fielded in local associations for further development.
“We have Under-10s, U12s and U14s from the programme who play in the indoor competition under the Port Moresby Cricket Association.
“Associations also help to trial students on what they’ve learnt from the programme.”
Sibona said the majority of players in the men’s and women’s national teams were products of the programme following a successful partnership in the nation’s capital.
“The programme had introduced them to the Port Moresby Cricket Association,” she said.
“From the association, they progressed through the cricket academies and local competition before making the national teams.”