Sachin Tendulkar and Muthiah Muralidaran will attend India’s ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup match against Sri Lanka on Thursday, as Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium turns blue as part of a joint initiative between the ICC and UNICEF to celebrate “One Day 4 Children”, with a message of hope and support for every child to survive and thrive.
The initiative is a collaboration between the Board of Control for Cricket in India and Sri Lanka Cricket and is part of the #BeAChampion campaign, which leverages the reach of the Cricket society Cup to create equal opportunities for females and boys and create a better society for all children.
The sell-out fixture will see supporters attending given an LED wristband that will be synchronized with a stadium-wide blue light display during the second innings.
Players from India and Sri Lanka will support the One Day 4 Children message alongside other luminaries of the game, including UNICEF and ICC Ambassadors Tendulkar and Muralidaran.
“Every international cricketer, including myself, started as a child with a dream,” Tendulkar said.
“I look forward to joining hands with UNICEF to see my home ground at the Wankhede Stadium turn blue as we champion equality for children across the world.”
The One Day 4 Children match is part of a larger ICC Cricket 4 Good strategy and follows the introduction of Criiio 4 Good, a new online, life skills learning initiative designed by the ICC, UNICEF, and BCCI to promote gender equality among boys and girls.
The eight learning modules are freely accessible at criiio.com/criiio4good, and the Indian Ministry of Education will promote the program to over 1.5 million institutions.
ICC and Global Broadcast Partner Star Sports will ensure the One Day 4 Children experience reaches television audiences around the globe, while various ICC Commercial Partners are supporting the event with in-match donations. Contributions raised throughout the campaign will support UNICEF’s work for children.
Jay Shah, Honorary Secretary of the BCCI, is looking forward to turning Wankhede blue.
“The Wankhede Stadium glowing blue is more than a visual spectacle; it’s a symbol of our collective efforts to support and nurture children and help them pursue their dreams,” he said.
“I firmly believe that this World Cup is a wonderful platform and an opportunity for us to create a legacy of hope, equality and opportunity for every child.”
In addition, the ICC, UNICEF and all 10 teams at the Cricket World Cup are hosting clinics in each host city, where hundreds of children from UNICEF programs are being given the opportunity to take up a bat and ball alongside their heroes.
