New Calgary cricket program sees dozens of children hit the field
A new Calgary cricket league is allowing children to take a swing at the sport — and it's already seen its popularity skyrocket.
The Future Stars Cricket League held its first open tryouts for kids aged 8 to 17 last month, and organizers weren't sure what to expect for a turnout. There are now 180 kids on 13 teams across the city.
"It's for everyone. If you're hearing about the sport for the first time, or if you've been playing for the past three or four years, it's for everyone," said Rommel Shahzad, one of the coaches with the program.
"We don't have any restrictions. Anyone can come and join," he said.
The league is completely free, including equipment and jerseys, though the group offers a paid cricket academy for players who want to spend more time honing their skills.
Shahzad is on Canada's national cricket team, and all of the coaches with Future Stars are playing at the international or national level.
Dania Imam has two young sons who joined the league this fall after practicing the sport at home.
The Future Stars Cricket League is bringing the sport to Calgary youth (CTV News Calgary/Jordan Kanygin).
"Because we watch cricket at home quite a bit, they've always been interested and they have been thrilled to come to these camps and play in the league," she said.
The academy and league come at a good time, Shahzad says, with the sports popularity soaring in the last decade in Canada.
"Honestly, I can just say this is a very good learning sport. It's a growing sport in Canada, so definitely come and check it out," he said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.