India to host Street Child Cricket World Cup 2023 to champion the rights of street kids

Team L&M

Save the Children, India and Street Child United will welcome 22 teams from 16 countries to India next year for the Street Child Cricket World Cup (SCCWC 2023) Taking place in September ahead of the ICC World Cup, the unique 10-day event will see street-connected children and young people take part in a mixed-gender cricket tournament, a festival of arts and a congress to champion the rights of street children worldwide.

The SCCWC 2023 will be the second edition of the tournament following the success of the inaugural event in London/Cambridge 2019, where eight teams competed, and Team India South emerged victorious after beating hosts England in a highly competitive final.

The winners will return in 2023 to defend their title alongside seven other teams from India who will represent organisations from across different regions of the country. They will be joined by teams from: Bangladesh, Bolivia, Brazil, Burundi, England, Hungary, Mauritius, Mexico, Nepal, Rwanda, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe.

The objective of the SCCWC is much more than just a cricket tournament. It is a global platform that gives street children an opportunity to connect, share their experiences and present their demands of human rights to the world: the right to identity, the right to access education, the right to protection from violence, the right to access health care and other fundamental rights that the world’s estimated 150 million street children are often deprived of.

Speaking about the goals of the Street Child Cricket World Cup, Street Child United’s founder and CEO John Wroe said, “The SCCWC will be a catalyst for one million young People globally receiving identity for the very first time. This is our legacy challenge for the 2nd SCCWC. This is a unique event that can show the world how cricket is helping give street children a voice to challenge the negative perceptions they face.”

Sudarshan Suchi, CEO, Save the Children, India commented, “Every child deserves an identity, and we are committed to make the ‘Invisibles’ visible and bring them into the mainstream. The idea of sports, and in that cricket becoming the pivot, is an opportunity we are excited about as we host the Street Child Cricket World Cup here in India and show the world what a powerful vehicle sport in general and cricket in particular can be in helping drive the change we want to create for these young people.”