Srinagar: The EqualHue initiative has launched a first-of-its-kind outreach and excellence programme, comprising youth tournaments, financial assistance and technical opportunities, to support girls and women in India who aspire to play cricket.
EqualHue Cricket is a pioneering research-backed and community-led initiative that charts a pathway for girls in cricket.
The EqualHue project, a movement focussing on gender equity in sport, was founded in 2020 by former India cricketer Snehal Pradhan, author Karunya Keshav and the Sports Law and Policy Centre.
EqualHue Cricket, conceived under the EqualHue project, is a collaborative effort involving the #EqualHue team,GoSports Foundation and Meraki Sport & Entertainment.
It is a pioneering initiative aimed at creating pathways for aspiring female cricketers from across the country, enabling them to start, stay in and succeed in the sport, while leaving a tangible impact on our country’s socio-economic fabric.
To coincide with Women’s Day 2022, the initiative has launched a tri-pronged programme to engage girls through Under-16 tournaments in 12 cities, enable those aged 16-23 with scholarships to continue in cricket by offering need-based financial assistance and career support and enhance excellence through an elite development programme.
Speaking on occasion of the launch, Snehal Pradhan, programme director, said, “We at the EqualHueproject want to make a difference on the ground for women’s cricket, but, first we needed to document ground realities, which we did with the Equal Hue report. Now, having identified the areas to focus on, we move into the action phase with Equal Hue Cricket.”
“With an ICC Women’s Under-19 World Cup on the horizon, the under-16 age group must be a special focus. And having almost quit cricket before getting a Railways job, I know how important it is to support players financially and expand pathways for progression. We look forward to developing these with the help of GoSports Foundation.”
Managed and marketed by Meraki Sport & Entertainment Pvt. Ltd., Equal Hue Cricket is anchored on the premise of developing women’s cricket from the grassroots to elite development, and will focus on providing girls and women with exposure and opportunities, to play competitive cricket, enhance their skills, and progress to professional opportunities in the sport. The platform aims to actively engage over 30,000 aspiring female cricketers, through multiple touchpoints viz. academies, schools, housing societies, camps with IPL team(s) and beyond.