The International Cricket Council’s Female Cricket Initiative of the Year 2024 has named BCCB and Vanuatu the Global Winners. Bhutan’s dedication to reaching 100% female participation in cricket activities at all levels served as the foundation for the award, which was given out at the ICC Annual Conference in Singapore. Damber Singh Gurung, the CEO of the BCCB, reaffirmed the nation’s commitment to the advancement of women’s cricket and promised to keep pursuing this objective. To encourage and professionalise elite national players, Bhutan Cricket is introducing a Women’s High-Performance Program and Player Grading Contract System. Through ICC and ACC-certified courses, the initiative seeks to increase the number of women’s tournaments, develop girls’ cricket hubs at the district level, and hire more female coaches and match officials.
Challenges include limited female players, cultural and social barriers, lack of dedicated training spaces, limited qualified female coaches, and financial constraints. Bhutan Cricket is committed to addressing these issues through strategic partnerships, advocacy, and creating more opportunities for girls and women in cricket. Bhutan Cricket was named Asia Regional Winner in the ICC Female Cricket Initiative of the Year category, competing against four regional winners. The award recognizes initiatives and programs leading sport growth in emerging nations, with around 365,000 women in Bhutan and 23,000 engaged in cricket Bhutanese cuisine recipes.