WITH big plans of promoting the game in Hong Kong, the territory's cricketing chiefs will go cap in hand to meet their counterparts at the Sports Development Board on Friday - to ask for money.
Money is the key to the game's development and future, as the Hong Kong Cricket Association knows only too well. Next year, it has been estimated that $500,000 will be needed to finance the development of the game. The year after that, $1 million.
'Our rate of progress in developing the game will totally depend on the funds available,' said Peter Slack, HKCA chairman.
So he will make the unforgiving trek to the SDB, for funds. The HKCA will go armed with an impressive blueprint for development, and the evidence of the good work done by the Dragons and the junior cricket centres which are mushrooming around the territory - there are three at the moment with two more on line.
At present the SDB's handout to cricket is $110,000, money which is gladly accepted.
'But this money is insufficient to meet our ambitions and goals,' said Slack. 'We hope the SDB will give us a substantial increase the next time they allocate funds.' Slack also added in the same breath that he hoped cricket could become a target sport - like badminton, squash, table tennis and windsurfing to name a few whereby these sports are pandered to with increased funding and facilities.
