MOOSE JAW — Members of the cricket community in Moose Jaw are thrilled that the city has agreed to build a pitch for this ever-growing and internationally popular sport.
JC Chhokar with the Moose Jaw Cricket Association (MJCA) and Richard Singh with the Saskatchewan Cricket Association (SCA) spoke to city council during its recent executive committee meeting about the $75,000 project, which council approved later that evening.
It took nearly a year to bring this project to council for approval, which included building a vision, developing the association and creating a team, Chhokar said. He was thankful that council supported the pitch’s construction and further development of the sport.
“We are also very grateful to Sask. Polytech for generously allocating land (and) giving us a place to turn our dreams into reality,” he continued.
“We believe a cricket pitch will serve not only current residents but also help welcome new families and cultures to Moose Jaw, strengthening the vibrant community spirit we all cherish.”
Singh — who has played for more than 40 years — said there are 100 teams across the province, with multiple clubs in some communities, but Moose Jaw has only one team because players must travel to Regina — sometimes at 7 a.m. — to practice and play.
Therefore, the club wants a field here to develop a program and train youths, he remarked, while more people will play if they don’t have to travel.
“… cricket is the second-most popular sport in the world behind soccer, but it’s not taught in the school system, so we are the only ones who teach it across the province,” Singh continued, noting that a field would allow the association to develop training programs in schools.
Moose Jaw players must play in parks, playgrounds and other fields, which don’t offer the correct setup, while some players have even played in parking lots, the SCA member said. So, the association is thankful that Sask. Polytech is offering land for the pitch.
Meanwhile, Moose Jaw is large enough that it could have multiple teams, with those teams bringing in new communities, developing sports-related tourism and generating revenue for businesses, Singh remarked. He noted that Prince Albert went from one to six teams, which could happen in The Friendly City since it’s “a much more developed city.”
The MJCA’s goal is to make the game safe for everyone, with residents accessing the field during the week and league play occurring on the weekend, he said.
“It’s a good opportunity for all of us to work together to develop something big,” Singh added.
Coun. Carla Delaurier said she has been following this sport’s development for a while and appreciated how the SCA wanted to grow it here, while she pointed out that Moose Jaw has many international students who play.
Moreover, she noted that many families participate in various sports, including soccer, which almost every child plays. So, she thought cricket could follow that trend too.
“So for our future tourism sector, (it) will be happy. But local … skill development is important as well,” Delaurier added.
Coun. Patrick Boyle said building a cricket pitch was a good solution for that area, while the field across from the Sportsplex was a good place. He then wondered whether cricket players would be able to use the parking lot at Sask. Polytech or have to rely on the nearby Sportsplex.
“… at the end of the day, if you have a lot of events going on and parking’s a problem, that’s probably a good thing,” he added.
Derek Blais, director of community services, replied that city administration has not discussed parking with the educational institution, although it didn’t anticipate parking to be an issue at the Sportsplex during the summer. However, if parking does become problematic, then discussions can occur.
The next regular council meeting is Monday, May 12.
