Tape-ball cricket booms in Neom thanks to Rajasthan Royals and Rahul Dravid
Amidst the futuristic skyline of the
$500 billion NEOM megacity project in northwest Saudi Arabia, a humble version
of cricket is taking root — with a big assist from Indian legend Rahul Dravid
and IPL franchise Rajasthan Royals.
While the sprawling development
promises flying taxis, a floating industrial zone, and a space-age football
stadium, it's the makeshift cricket pitches scattered across construction camps
that are currently drawing crowds and building community. Tape-ball cricket — a
stripped-down version of the sport using tennis balls wrapped in electrical
tape — has surged in popularity among the project’s largely South Asian
workforce.
With around 150,000 residents
currently living in the NEOM region and nearly 70 percent of them hailing from
South Asia, the game’s rise was almost inevitable.
Read More Neom
teams up with IPL's Rajasthan Royals
“You can’t develop anything unless
you can attract and retain the workforce,” said Nathan Homer, Commercial
Director of NEOM Sport. “And part of that is making sure they’re active,
engaged, and included.”
Initially, NEOM built two astroturf
ovals with hard wickets to provide structure to the grassroots games workers
were already playing on any available patch of flat ground. Three years later,
that modest start has exploded into a cricket movement: the region now boasts
nine pitches, with plans for four more by year’s end. Participation has grown
from a few hundred players to several thousand.
Last year, 160 contracting companies
fielded teams in the tournament, and even sub-projects like Oxagon — NEOM’s
planned floating industrial complex — have seen such high demand that internal
qualifiers are now being held.
The tournaments have also taken an
inclusive turn, featuring women's matches and designated times for women-only
access to the facilities.
Read More Tabuk
Tigers triumph in second season of NEOM community cricket program
“We’re ecstatic about the growth,”
said Homer. “But the real win is that the pitches are in use every single day.
Workers finish their shifts and head straight to the field.”
Adding star power to the grassroots
movement is the involvement of the Rajasthan Royals. The IPL franchise has
partnered with NEOM to promote cricket in the region, sending cricketing icons
Rahul Dravid and Kumar Sangakkara to attend last December’s grand final. The
two legends conducted coaching clinics and met fans, drawing a crowd of 2,500
to the final match.
“It’s about bringing cricket to life
in this part of the world and doing it from the grassroots up,” Dravid said
during the visit. “The Royals are uniquely placed to connect all these
elements. I think we’re building a strong base of support in NEOM.”
Beyond entertainment, Homer says the
initiative has fostered a sense of unity and equality.
“Cricket breaks down hierarchy,” he
said. “We have CEOs playing alongside shop-floor workers. It doesn’t matter
where you're from or who you are — on the pitch, everyone is equal.”
As NEOM continues to rise from the
desert with sky-high ambitions, it’s tape-ball cricket — simple, social, and
spirited — that’s quietly shaping the human fabric of this futuristic city.
Source: The National
0 Comments