The 2023 Street Child Cricket World Cup
The Street Child Cricket World Cup has come and gone once again. This year’s tournament was played in the Indian city of Chennai, featuring 7 teams from across India and 12 teams from around the world, including England, Uganda, South Africa, Nepal and Mexico, with every child that participated living in extreme poverty. Magic Bus was represented by eight children, four boys and four girls, from Mumbai, competing under the name Team India Cobras.
The tournament got off to a rough start for the Cobras, with the team losing their first two matches in the competition. But despite this initial setback, their unwavering confidence would be rewarded as the team started raking in runs and wickets to win their next four games, enough to finish 2nd in their group and qualify for the knockout stages. There they faced team Zimbabwe and, despite a heroic effort by the entire, the Cobras would sadly be defeated, ultimately finishing a highly respectable 5th out of 19. Zimbabwe would go on to be defeated in the final by a triumphant Uganda that had thoroughly dominated the tournament since day one.
In addition to the team finishing 5th, the Cobra’s own Asif would be awarded both the Golden Bat for scoring the most runs in the competition, and would also be named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player in recognition for his talent as both a bowler and a batsman.
The Street Child Cricket World Cup isn’t just a sporting event, of course. It’s an opportunity for children growing up in extreme poverty around the globe to come together and speak out, letting the world know about the challenges they face every day, and advocating for support that will make a difference. Together, the Voices of the Chennai Congress produced 19 declarations covering problems ranging from discrimination in healthcare, financial barriers to education, and ongoing gender discrimination. Now that the tournament has come to an end, the children will return home with these same declarations in hand, and continue to advocate for a better world.
Every child that participated in the Street Child World Cup is an inspiration, and we owe it to them to ensure that their voices are heard and that we help them, and all children like them, leave poverty behind. To help a child living in poverty in India get the support they need to find a brighter future, donate to Magic Bus UK today.