By Staff Writer
The Samoa International Cricket Association, SICA, had much to celebrate on Friday evening with the opening of its brand new office at the Tuanaimato Sports Grounds.
The two-storey building looms high at the end of a row of Samoan fale just inside the entry gates into the cricket pitch.
The International Cricket Council funded the $228,000 building as the newest milestone in the history of the international sport in Samoa.
The Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi attended the opening to give the keynote address before invited guests that included members of the diplomatic corp.
“Cricket in Samoa has a colourful history since it was first introduced in 1884 by the visit of a British Royal Navy vessel,” a SICA statement highlighted.
Since 1964 when local expats would name their side the ‘Wanderers ‘ to play against passing cruise ships and other visitors to the island, the sport has gradually evolved.
By 1997 they were able to form into an official association with an elected Committee to take the sport up to the present.
“ Cricket has grown to the point where we now have a participation base of over 29 thousand members in both Upolu and Savai’i and continues to grow.
“ Cricket is now played in primary, secondary and tertiary schools and has robust domestic ( junior and senior) competitions.”
Since 2008/2011 SICA has set up temporary offices starting from the Apia Park Sports Complex to residential homes and to the various sporting facilities at the Tuanaimato Sports Complex.
The sport has enjoyed recent success in both men and women’s regional and international sporting events with medal wins and a rise in rankings at the international level.
SICA is already an associate member of the International Cricket Council or the world ruling body of cricket with a right to vote as a member.
The Prime Minister has also been a strong advocator of the international version of the sport as compared to the local variation referred to as ‘kirikiti’ a phonetic word that came from English word cricket.