Cricket in the valley of the home of the mythical Yeti The pristine valley of Merak and Sakteng is one of the most remote places in the country and for ages the community has been closed to protect the unique cultural heritage of the Brokpa people. The semi-nomadic Yak herders still believe that the mythical creature Yeti roams the valley and is an important part of the local culture. It was an exciting but challenging task for Bhutan Cricket to bring the sport of cricket to them as they were not sure about the interest and acceptance. With red cheek, braided yak hair and blue rubber boots in traditional attire, Sonam Dorji is intrigued when he sees a cricket bat for the first time. “With a smirk on his face, he said that the bat will be useful to use as kind of whips to provide directional guidance or to encourage movement animals”. The 5-day journey from the capital Thimphu is full of adventure and winding roads crossing many majestic peaks and passes, which are food for the soul and a delight for the eyes. Bhutan Cricket has taken an initiative to bring cricket to the far east of Bhutan, Merak and Sakteng. The ICC Criiio Cricket Program in Merak and Sakteng is a unique cricket clinic that aims to promote and introduce the game in two schools. These two schools, Merak Primary School and Sakteng Lower Secondary School, are among the few remote schools in Bhutan where such programs are not conducted. https://youtu.be/Tdse1bOY1CA In the hope of preserving the cricket culture in the valley, a plastic bat and ball were distributed to each participant, sponsored by UNICEF Bhutan. A total of 484 students and 26 teachers from both schools participated in the program. It was considered one of the most successful programs initiated by Bhutan Cricket in recent years due to the travel involved and the location is over 3500 meters above sea level. Trekking through the pristine valley on foot and seeing the happy faces of the children holding bat and ball for the first time captured the idea of healthy development and success.

The explosive Mikyo stormed social media overnight when he became the first player from Bhutan to be registered in the history of IPL Auction 2022. It was a milestone for Bhutan Cricket and for Mikyo to be fielded in the world’s biggest cricket tournament. The 21-year-old all-rounder made his debut for Bhutan in 2018 against Malaysia and has played nine international matches so far. He is a very hardworking boy with passion and drive who is also supported by his father who is also a passionate sports fan. “I think I am someone who is passionate and obsessed with what I do. When I want something, I do whatever it takes to achieve it,” Mikyo explained. That attitude speaks for itself, as he is also the first player to play in the Everest Premier League for the Lalitpur Patriots in Nepal in 2021. To realize his dream and develop his cricketing skills, the former North Pointer has joined the MRF Pace Foundation in Chennai at his own expense and hopes to change the image of cricket in Bhutan. Well-built and broad-shouldered, Mikyo is a disciplined athlete whose biggest goal is to play in one of IPL’s teams. Mikyo drew a lot of inspiration from former Indian captain Dhoni when he met him in Chennai. In the video that went viral on social media, the captain gave the Bhutanese prodigy some good advice: ”Keep it simple. Focus more on the process and less on the results. If you go about the process the right way, you will get the results. Like every other cricketer in Bhutan, Mikyo firmly believes that Bhutanese cricket can evolve in many ways. He takes a cue from countries like Nepal, Oman and Afghanistan that have made great strides in cricket. He said, “Just a few years ago we were competing with these countries and now some of them are playing in the World Cup.” This just shows that we are making progress, but very slowly. While other countries are making great strides forward.

Gelephu International Cricket Ground (GICG) is the first natural grass pitch ground of Bhutan Cricket and is located in the southern part of Bhutan, in Gelephu. Currently, the ground has six natural grass pitches in the center, four natural grass pitches and two artificial grass pitches at the nets. The total area of the ground is 6 acre, of which 75% are used for the main playing field and the rest for the grandstand with natural seating, the construction of a pavilion, nets, toilets, a staff house, storage facilities, and future development of the site. When the pavilion is completed, we will have about 3000 seats for spectators. The pavilion will have two dressing rooms for the teams, official rooms for media, umpires, scorers and match officials, an office cafeteria, VIP stands, toilets and a gallery with 360 seats. The ground will serve as a National Cricket Academy and venue for international and major national events. Funding for the development of the pitch was originally provided by the Asian Cricket Council and we have continued to receive funding from ACC depending on the Asia Cup. We have received a loan from the ICC and a special grant for the development of the pavilion. The Bhutan Olympic Committee has supported us with a grant for the construction of toilets, gates, and parking. The construction of the site started in 2016, and later the work was interrupted because there was no clay available for the construction of the pitch. However, in 2019, the work was resumed, with some changes in the strategy for the development of the main field. From 2021, the field was used for the preparation of the women’s national team. We are hoping that by end of 2023 the ground will be equipped with all the facilities.

With her big nerd glasses, unkempt blonde hair, and bright smile, Anju looks more like a pop star, but her fierce spirit and devastating left have dazzled many when facing her in the middle. Meet Anju Gurung, one of the most successful female cricketers in Bhutan’s history, who broke the ice and made a name for herself on the international stage. She is now a household name and a star that many young, aspiring female cricketers look up to. Today we know a lot about women’s cricket, a few years ago it was not given much attention. Pursuing something that is not conventional requires a lot of confidence, perseverance and the courage to never give up. Anju was born out of pure passion, dedication and hard work. It took her 15 years to break the shackles and win her first world tournament FairBreak Invitational Women’s T20 Cricket, which will be held in Dubai in May 2022. “As women cricketers, we always look forward to playing on such big stages and I am looking forward to playing alongside the international players in Dubai. I feel that female athletes in Bhutan are treated the same as male athletes. In our cricket association, women have the same status as men because the board knows that women have the ability to do what men can do,” Anju explained. The 28-year-old, who hails from the small border town of Gelephu, began her quest at the age of 13. Since then, she has never looked back and her world revolves around cricket balls and bats. Her consistent performances in international tournaments, starting from the U19 tournaments ACC to the recent World Cup qualifier in Asia where she was the second-best wicket collector, gave her the breakthrough to the FairBreak International Women’s T20 tournament. This is not only a great achievement for her but also for Bhutan Cricket. Meanwhile, Bhutan Cricket is in talks with Thailand Cricket to give her the opportunity to train with the Thai women’s team to prepare for the tournament. “I am lucky that my mother has always supported me and that is why I am still involved. It depends on our own attitude whether we make the game our profession or a hobby,” she added. For now, she is fixated on using her skills for Dubai and shaping the future. https://youtu.be/9pUDOdVRFFE

Amongst South Asia’s emerging cricket nations – Bhutan, Maldives and Nepal – it is the latter who have enjoyed the spotlight. Understandably so, as the sheer passion that the Nepalese have for the game is unparalleled in the Associate world. Furthermore, with large participation numbers, men’s and women’s contracts and ODI status, they are making meaningful strides towards a potential International Cricket Council (ICC) Full Membership in the future. Keen to step out of Nepal’s shadow however, is the tiny Kingdom of Bhutan. Nestled high amongst the breathtaking, snow-clad peaks of the Himalayas, cricket has made phenomenal gains here. In fact, Bhutan is that rare Associate country where cricket can lay claim to being in the top five most popular sports nationally. Emerging Cricket sat down with new Bhutan Cricket Council Board (BCCB) Chief Executive Officer Damber Singh Gurung to discuss the BCCB’s origins, the rapid growth of cricket as well as the challenges facing the game in ‘The Land of the Thunder Dragon’. Readmore

Bhutan’s Gross National Happiness went up a few points last week as over 300 children and school-teachers took part in a cricket carnival organised by Bhutan Cricket in commemoration of the ICC’s Catch the Spirit centenary celebrations. “We were amazed by the turn-out. Everyone had fun and I think we found a lot of new cricketers for the future,” says national coach Damber Singh Gurung. The three-hour carnival at Changlimithang had many boys and girls pick up a bat for the first time and they were supervised by Bhutan’s coaches, umpires, and national U-19 men’s and women’s cricketers. Games were played at the same time and for anyone who had the time, Bhutan cricket displayed all the trophies they’ve won in Asian Cricket Council Tournaments over the past few years (two Spirit of Cricket Awards and four age-group runners-up cups) alongside a photo gallery of the national players in action at home and away. 2008 was the Bhutan monarchy’s centenary, 2009 has been the ICC’s. Bhutan’s cricket has plenty of cause for celebration. “Cricket is really growing in Bhutan among both boys and girls – which makes my job more challenging but also a lot more fun,” said Mr. Gurung. Radmore

Kuwait, playing the third match of the day, also decided to bowl first after winning the toss. Bhutan opener Ngawang Choden was the first to go trapped leg before by Khadija Khalil for 6. Wicketkeeper Sonam Paldon took the score to 24 before she got clean bowled by skipper Amna Tariq for 11. Bhutan skipper Yeshey Choden, together with Dechen Wangmo tried hard to increase the run flow. But Maryam Omar clean bowled Choden for 11. Wangmo too got run out for 17 thus upsetting their plans.  Tshering Zagmo rose to the challenge and along with Pema Seldon steered their team past the 100-run mark. They put on 45 runs for the fifth wicket before Seldon got run out to the first ball of the last over for 18. Zagmo remained unbeaten with run-a-ball 37 with four boundaries. Chasing Bhutan’s total of 113 for 6, Kuwait lost their opener Zeefa Jilani to the last ball of the first over when she got run out for a duck. The second wicket to fall too was through a run-out when Khaldija Khalil fell for 9. Skipper Tariq joined Piyada Murali but Karma Samten removed Murali for 10. Tariq became the third to get run out for 7. At the halfway mark, Bhutan took a firm grip when Zangmo trapped Siobah Gomez leg before for a duck. With half the side back in the pavilion for just 36 runs, Bhutan went for the kill taking wickets at regular intervals. Maryam Omar stood amidst the ruins and played some lovely shots to score 29 runs before she too became the fourth run-out victim. When Aakriti Bose too got run out, Kuwait’s half the side got out to run-outs resulting in a 40 run win for Bhutan. Readmore