Cricket Australia, which governs the nation’s most popular summer sport, is indirectly contributing to an “obesity epidemic” by relying on the KFC fried-chicken restaurant chain as a sponsor, researchers said.
The organization should review the funding arrangement and “consider its responsibilities” to help fight weight gain among youth, researchers from the University of Sydney said in a letter published on Monday in the Medical Journal of Australia.
The number of overweight and obese children in Australia has risen “significantly” since 1995, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.
Television advertisements have featured Australian captain Ricky Ponting and teammates promoting KFC meals, said Stephen Colagiuri, a professor of metabolic health at the university’s Institute of Obesity, Nutrition and Exercise who co-authored the letter.
The ads were “quite frankly over the top,” Colagiuri said in a telephone interview yesterday. “Prominent sporting bodies like Cricket Australia and others do need to take a more responsible attitude to advertising and the sponsorship they have for their products.”
In a separate letter to the journal, Cricket Australia said it relies on sponsors including KFC, owned by Kentucky-based Yum Brands, to help fund programs aimed at encouraging “healthy and active lifestyles” among children.
“In relation to KFC, we believe in a little of everything and everything in moderation,” Peter Young, Cricket Australia’s general manager of public affairs, said in the letter.
“Our view on alcohol is the same. The overall issue is about balance,” Young said.
The average KFC meal contains about 1,000 calories, which the average person would burn with about three hours of walking, Colagiuri said.
“Obviously Cricket Australia have some contractual obligations which they need to finish, but we would sincerely hope that they review their association when these contractual obligations are over,” Colagiuri said.
KFC signed on as Cricket Australia’s “official fast-food restaurant” in 2003, the Melbourne-based governing body said. KFC sponsors international Twenty20 cricket matches in Australia and the nation’s domestic Twenty20 competition.
Taiwan kept their hopes of advancing to next year’s World Baseball Classic (WBC) alive with a 9-1 victory over South Africa in a qualifier at the Taipei Dome on Saturday, backed by solid pitching. Taiwan last night played against Nicaragua. As of press time, Nicaragua was leading 6-0. Bouncing back from Friday’s struggles on the mound, when Taiwanese pitchers surrendered 15 runs to Spain, Team Taiwan on Saturday kept the visiting team in check, allowing just one run in the bottom of the fourth inning. Starting pitcher Sha Tzu-chen struck out one and allowed no hits, except for a hit-by-pitch over
Team Taiwan are set to face Spain in a win-or-go-home match tonight for the final berth at the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC), despite losing to Nicaragua 6-0 in the WBC qualifier at the Taipei Dome on Sunday. The home team’s loss on Sunday means Nicaragua finish first in the qualifier round in Taipei with a perfect 3-0 record and advances to next year’s finals. After crushing South Africa 9-1 earlier on Sunday, Spain took second place in the four-team qualifier with a 2-1 record. With a 1-2 record, Taiwan finished third while South Africa placed at the bottom with
Taiwan kept its hopes of advancing to the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) alive with a 9-1 victory over South Africa in a qualifier at the Taipei Dome last night, backed by solid pitching. Bouncing back from Friday’s struggles on the mound, when Taiwanese pitchers surrendered 15 runs to Spain, Team Taiwan kept the visiting team in check, allowing just one run in the bottom of the fourth inning. The win was crucial for Taiwan, as a loss would have eliminated the team from contention for the next WBC. Starting pitcher Sha Tzu-chen (沙子宸) struck out one and allowed no hits, except for
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