MISSISSAUGA: The Ontario Cricket Development Organization (a registered not-for-profit, community-based group serving Mississauga and vicinity by providing cricket programs to keep youth and adults engaged in positive and healthy activity) is holding the Mississauga Cricket Festival.
The Mississauga Cricket Festival, held at The Mavis Cricket Ground (550 Courtneypark Drive West, Mississauga), will seek to create Canadian cricketing history by hosting the first ever event which will feature top level T20 cricket matches on a regulation field, under floodlights. The festival is an initiative that aims to engage, inspire and motivate kids and community members to become active and healthy by playing the game of cricket. The broader objective of the initiative is to foster the spirit of cricket at the community and grassroots level as an active and affordable sport for healthy living. It is a free admission event, inviting all interested viewers to come out and enjoy the festivities.
The festival runs from Thursday, August 28 to Friday, August 29 (from 6 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. each day). Both days will feature exhibition matches which will include a Peel Regional Police team against the Ontario Cricket Academy and Club U-19 and an U13 and women’s cricket demonstration. The two main event matches will include our club side, the Ontario Cricket Academy and Club; Mississauga-based Elite team, against two of the top club sides in Canada –the Toronto Cricket Club (Thursday at 7 p.m.) and Brampton Masters Cricket Club (Friday at 7 p.m. These matches will feature several Canadian national team members. An audience of around 200-300 people per day is expected.
Mayor Hazel McCallion will be the guest of honour on Thursday, along with Councillor George Carslon in attendance and on Friday, Minister of Sport Bal Gosal will be the guest of honour, with Councillor and mayoral candidate Bonnie Crombie present. Other special guests include officials from the Cricket Council of Ontario and the Toronto and District Cricket Association.
The event will serve as a memorial for Brandon Paltooram, a young aspiring cricketer from the organization, whose life was taken in a senseless act of violence in 2010. The organization hopes that through our year round programs and events such as the Mississauga Cricket Festival, they can encourage more young people to become engaged in sports and steer away from negative behaviour.
