Queensland Cricket, in collaboration with Queensland Representative School Sport (QRSS), is set to make history by introducing Blind & Low Vision Cricket to the QRSS program. This groundbreaking partnership aims to create more inclusive sporting opportunities for secondary school students across the Sunshine Coast, Brisbane, Logan, Ipswich, and the Gold Coast.
To kick off this initiative, two “come and try” days have been scheduled:
Session 1: Met North & Sunshine Coast
When: 12 pm – 3 pm, Wednesday, 4th September
Where: Burpengary State Secondary College
Session 2: Met East, Met West & South Coast
When: 12 pm – 3 pm, Thursday, 5th September
Where: Mayfield State School
These sessions are designed to introduce Blind & Low Vision Cricket to students, helping them discover the sport and potentially identify regional teams for an inter-regional gala day later in the year, whilst also breaking down the barriers and misconceptions of Blind and Low Visions Cricket.
Students interested in participating can register here. For more information, please reach out to:
QRSS Enquiries: Kristen Jansen – [email protected]
QLD Cricket Enquiries: Lauren McQueen – [email protected]
John Butterworth, QLD Cricket’s Head of Operations, Growth and Engagement, spoke positively of the move by QRSS in introducing more inclusive opportunities to school students.
He said, “Increasing participation and awareness among students, staff, and families is a key focus,”
“There are common misconceptions that players need to be completely blind to play, and that Blind Cricket is not overly competitive, when both are untrue given the varying levels of vision, as well as the representative pathways that are available” he continued.
Blind Cricket, though like conventional cricket, incorporates unique adaptations to accommodate players with visual impairments. The most notable differences include the use of an audible ball and underarm bowling, allowing players to rely on their other senses. The sport is categorised into three sight categories:
B1: No light perception or light perception without the ability to recognize the shape of a hand.
B2: Ability to recognize the shape of a hand up to a visual acuity of 2/60 and/or a visual field of 5 degrees or less.
B3: Visual acuity above 2/60 up to 6/60 and/or a visual field of more than 5 degrees up to 20 degrees.
Participating in Blind & Low Vision Cricket not only offers a chance to play but also opens doors to state and national representative opportunities. Brisbane has hosted the National Cricket Inclusion Championships for the past two seasons and will welcome the event back in January 2025. Additionally, the Blind Cricket Ashes will take place on the Gold Coast this November, further highlighting the sport’s growing presence.
Source link : https://www.qldcricket.com.au/news/4082704/queensland-cricket-and-qld-representative-school-sport-launch-blind-cricket-program
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Publish date : 2024-08-15 00:35:48
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