DUBAI -- Cricket is set to bring smiles back to the faces of children in Japan who were affected by the recent earthquake and tsunami.

The Japan Cricket Association (JCA) has launched a Cricket for Smiles program and will visit 250 schools in the next 18 months and teach children cricket and also donate cricket sets.
Dubai-based cricket promoter and businessman Shyam Bhatia, who is also the patron of the Dubai Cricket Council, will back the JCA's program by donating 250 sets of cricket equipment with each set to contain four bats, four wickets, 12 balls and batting tees.
Speaking to Gulf News, Bhatia said: ""My aim is always to help cricketers who cannot afford to play the game. Through my Cricket for Care program, I have helped cricketers in Afghanistan, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka. I wrote to Andrew Faichney, the ICC Regional Development Manager, expressing my desire to help Japan and he put me on to JCA officials.""
Reacting to the unexpected help from UAE, Naoki Alex Miyaji, Chief Executive Officer of JCA said: ""The 9.0 earthquake and the tsunami that occurred on March 11 this year in North East Japan was the worst natural disaster in Japanese history. Around 28,000 people have died or are missing. Thousands of people have lost their family, friends, home, employment and even their smiles. Many children are in desperate need of something to make them smile, be happy and regain their courage. We have established Cricket for Smiles so that we can do our part for such children in the best way we can. I thank Bhatia for his offer.""
Incidentally, Bhatia left for Jakarta to distribute kits for children in Indonesia.
""Indonesia is developing cricket with a limited supply of equipment. Bhatia's donation is a big blessing and an answer for many cricket kits demand in many regions and schools,"" said T. Albert of Persatuan Cricket Indonesia.
(Source: gulfnews.com)
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Shyam A. Bhatia, patron of the Dubai Cricket Council