ICC, UNICEF promote sanitation in Kolkata

Building up to the ICC World T20 in India, the International Cricket Council (ICC), Cricket for Good and UNICEF in partnership with BCCI launched the Team Swachh clinics during the ICC WT20 Host City Tour. The aim of the tour was to promote a nationwide initiative that aims to build a social movement for sanitation and toilet use  in the city which will lead to an open-defecation-free India.

The ICC WT20 Men’s and Women’s trophies travelled through the streets of Kolkata. Exhilarated fans got the opportunity to photograph themselves with the trophies.

A specially designed double-decker bus carried the children from a local NGO and Indian cricket team player Manoj Tiwary and Shubhlakshmi Sharma. The Indian cricket players interacted with fans as the cavalcade made its way through the streets.

Manoj Tiwary and Shubhlakshmi Sharma engaged with the children. They shared cricket tips with them and discussed the importance of hygiene and sanitation in the specially designed Team Swachh Wash clinic, set up inside the Eden Garden cricket stadium.

Calling the initiative a ‘social movement for sanitation’, Caroline Den Dulk, Chief of Communication, UNICEF India said, “The idea of team play is at the core of the Team Swachh initiative and it leverages the vast passion of the sport in the country to advocate toilet use and save lives of children.”

After Dharamshala, Mohali, New Delhi and now Kolkata, the ICC WT20 Host City Tour will visit each of the venues that will host the ICC WT20 matches. It will now travel to Nagpur ,Chennai ,Bangalore and Mumbai .

Earlier in October 2015, the ICC Cricket for Good and UNICEF launched a five-year global partnership in New York. 

They decided to engage the broader cricketing community to empower children and adolescents. In particular, during the many ICC events over the next five years, they will develop and implement various community outreach programmes and initiatives in collaboration with coaches, cricketers and cricketing personalities.

Gracing the occasion Raymond Palmer, ICC spokesperson said, “The most important thing is cleanliness. If our environment is clean it can prevent diseases. Promoting cleanliness through cricket is a good idea as it’s the most popular game.”