Cricket is now firmly established as a part of the Thai sporting landscape with its introduction into the 10,000 athlete, 30-event National Youth Games in Phetchabun province in north-central Thailand.
Cricket Association of Thailand (CAT) Chief Executive, Mohideen Kader, said: "It's a revolution in Thailand. There has been tremendous interest from Thai TV and journalists in cricket and even on rest-days, the organisers have asked us to play a demonstration game and run a coaching session so that more people can get to see cricket.
Eighty children who had never before played cricket took part in the coaching, attended to by national players John Hottinger and Noppon Senamontree.
11 men"s and nine women"s teams applied to take part in this year"s Youth Games, the organizers ultimately limiting the teams to twelve. "Next time in Uttaradit in 2012, there"ll be even more, with the added advantage that the host province has to field a team, meaning that cricket will have gone to another new place," added Kader.
In 2002, when development started, the game was confined to Bangkok, with sporadic Sixes cricket in Phuket and Chiang Mai. Since then coaches have travelled to schools in a number of provinces in order to encourage the game. The result has seen Thai boys and girls playing in increasing numbers and winning places in the national team
Cricket Association of Thailand (CAT) Chief Executive, Mohideen Kader, said: "It's a revolution in Thailand. There has been tremendous interest from Thai TV and journalists in cricket and even on rest-days, the organisers have asked us to play a demonstration game and run a coaching session so that more people can get to see cricket.
Eighty children who had never before played cricket took part in the coaching, attended to by national players John Hottinger and Noppon Senamontree.
11 men"s and nine women"s teams applied to take part in this year"s Youth Games, the organizers ultimately limiting the teams to twelve. "Next time in Uttaradit in 2012, there"ll be even more, with the added advantage that the host province has to field a team, meaning that cricket will have gone to another new place," added Kader.
In 2002, when development started, the game was confined to Bangkok, with sporadic Sixes cricket in Phuket and Chiang Mai. Since then coaches have travelled to schools in a number of provinces in order to encourage the game. The result has seen Thai boys and girls playing in increasing numbers and winning places in the national team
