Int'l Cricket Council welcomes Mongolia, Tajikistan and Switzerland as new Members

Ulaanbaatar /MONTSAME/. On July 18, the International Cricket Council (ICC) welcomed its newest Member countries, Mongolia, Tajikistan and Switzerland at the ICC’s 78th Annual General Meeting. The meeting, which was conducted virtually, welcomed Mongolia and Tajikistan as the 22nd and 23rd Members of the Asia region, whilst Switzerland is Europe’s 35th Member, with the ICC now comprising 106 Members in total, including 94 Associates. The Mongolian Cricket Association (MCA) which was established in 2007 became the official national administrator of the sport in 2018. There is a growing junior cricket structure in place primarily through school cricket with a coaching programme ongoing in 16 schools - and the sport was officially accepted into the National Youth Games in 2019. Women’s cricket is a priority for Mongolia with females accounting for 39% of all participants playing school cricket. In addition, Mongolia is due to host the International Youth Green Games in September 2021 where cricket has been selected as one of the participating sports. President of Mongolia Cricket Association Mr. Battulga Gombo said: “Joining the ICC is fundamental in the establishment of a coherent structure for cricket in Mongolia. I am happy to see this noble game helping the young people here, contributing valuable experiences and giving them skills and ethics that they can take into other areas of their lives. The MCA’s focus will continue to be the Schools’ Outreach Programme both in Ulaanbaatar and in the provinces, on inter-school competition and inter-province competition in the National Youth Games. We see this as the best way to sow the seed of cricket so that the sport becomes part of Mongolian life.” The ICC is the global governing body for cricket. Representing 104 members, the ICC governs and administrates the game and works with its members to grow the sport.