Brazil's men's and women's cricket teams play a demonstration match in Sao Paulo

Cricket is the second most popular sport in the world, and has gained increasing space among men and women in Brazil through the Cricket Brasil Project, affiliated with the ICC (International Cricket Council, the federation that regulates the sport in the world). , which aims to encourage popular sports in a country where football has deep roots.

The city of Pocos de Caldas in the state of Minas Gerais is the main center for the promotion of English sports, which is becoming more popular every day and helps children and young people to acquire sporting habits in the city, making the city a place where children come together to play cricket more than football, which is the national passion.

About 2,400 girls and 2,700 boys are currently participating in the project, spread across eight cities in Brazil (Poços de Caldas/MG, Águas da Prata/SP, São João da Boa Vista/SP, Botelhos/MG, Aguaí/SP, Palmeiral). (MG, Gonçalo/MG and Brasília/DF) Most of the time, children in need learn the rules of the game and participate in recreational sports activities.

The main goal of Cricket Brasil is for 30,000 children and teenagers to be part of the project in the coming years, increasing the visibility of this sport in Brazil, bringing children out of the sedentary lifestyle and, who knows, emerging new athletes who can serve society. Brazilian team.

-We want the values ​​of sport, such as discipline, respect and working together, to make a difference in the lives of these children/teens. You don't need to be the best at the sport, the important thing is to learn the game and be part of the team. Our sport is inclusive and we know that everyone depends on everyone else to make up our group,” said England's Matt Featherstone, a former UK professional athlete and head of the Cricket Project in Brazil.