After a long week cooking and cleaning in the cramped households of Hong Kong, a group of Philippine domestic workers are using their Sunday off for an unlikely hobby: cricket.
They are proving rather good at it.
Despite no background in the game, scant coaching and little time, the SCC Divas have made a startling impact, winning Hong Kong’s development league twice in their first two seasons and going unbeaten since stepping up to the main divisions this year.
Photo: AFP
Along the way, they have inspired the Philippines’ first national women’s cricket team, providing seven of its players, while shaking up Hong Kong’s sleepy cricket scene, a remnant of British colonialism.
“We are all domestic helpers. Some are new players, having their first time holding a cricket ball,” said Josie Arimas, 52, captain and founder of the SCC Divas.
The satisfying clunk of bat on ball, at the scenic Po Kong Village Cricket Ground overlooked by green hills and tower blocks, is a world away from daily life for the Divas.
Photo: AFP
Many of them work from 6am till midnight, six days a week, scrubbing, shopping and looking after kids, to support their own children and families back in the Philippines.
They get “no rest. They’re tough,” Arimas said.
Tales of abuse and exploitation abound among Hong Kong’s 400,000 foreign domestic workers, most of them from the Philippines or Indonesia.
One domestic worker watching the Divas said that rather than the government-mandated rest day every week, her employer gives her just six hours off a month, and makes her sleep in the living room.
For Divas player Liza Avelino, cricket is a chance to escape the difficulties of everyday life.
“It’s very relaxing, it makes my day worthwhile,” she said. “It’s good to be active, and you forget all stress and the troubles and everything.”
During this month’s 45-run win over the Cavaliers, a team from the venerable and well-heeled Hong Kong Cricket Club, the Divas’ skills honed in baseball, a popular sport in the Philippines, were in evidence.
Positive hitting helped set a challenging total of 167-6, before the Divas restricted the Cavaliers to 122-4 with some energetic fielding including, two side-on, direct hits on the stumps.
The team was cheered on throughout by a vocal band of teammates and supporters, who picnicked by the boundary rope and operated the scoreboard.
“They’re so passionate about it. They all come here and they all watch, and they make a day of it,” said Cavaliers captain Tracy Walker, an independent board member of Cricket Hong Kong.
“They get one day off a week, and what do they do? They come and sit and watch, cheer along, train whenever they can. It’s pretty impressive,” Walker said.
Just three years after their founding in 2017, the Divas have already formed a development team, SCC Pinay, and aim to be a lasting force in Hong Kong cricket.
Team manager Aminesh Kulkarni, who founded the team with Arimas and raises sponsorship to pay for dues, equipment and other expenses, said the aim is to provide a positive pastime for domestic workers on their day off.
“The Filipinos have that gathering culture. So if one comes, a few come. One player started spending time here, and now we have 32,” Kulkarni said. “My aim is finally about 200. It is going to happen in the next couple of years.”
Alvina Tam, Cricket Hong Kong’s director of development and a Cavaliers player, said that the Divas had added a new element to the sport in the territory, which is dominated by the expat and South Asian community.
“What they brought into women’s cricket in Hong Kong was their sense of unity, the sense of teamwork and working together,” Tam said.
“And at the same time they can still maintain a very friendly attitude towards the opposition as well. I think that’s a very good show of sportsmanship,” she added.
For the Divas players, separated from their families and living far from home, the team also serves as a support network, Avelino said.
“It’s not just about sport, it’s also about having a family to meet up with. It’s a very close kinship, a sisterhood,” she said.
“Being away from home, to have a group of people doing the same thing is very empowering. We love it and we look forward to doing it on Sunday,” she added.
US track and field athletes have about four dozen pieces to choose from when assembling their uniforms at the Olympics. The one grabbing the most attention is a high-cut leotard that barely covers the bikini line and has triggered debate between those who think it is sexist and others who say they do not need the Internet to make sure they have good uniforms. Among those critical or laughing at the uniforms included Paralympian Femita Ayanbeku, sprinter Britton Wilson and even athletes from other countries such as Britain’s Abigail Irozuru, who wrote on social media: “Was ANY female athlete consulted in
Four-time NBA all-star DeMarcus Cousins arrived in Taiwan with his family early yesterday to finish his renewed contract with the Taiwan Beer Leopards in the T1 League. Cousins initially played a four-game contract with the Leopards in January. On March 18, the Taoyuan-based team announced that Cousins had renewed his contract. “Hi what’s up Leopard fans, I’m back. I’m excited to be back and can’t wait to join the team,” Cousins said in a video posted on the Leopard’s Facebook page. “Most of all, can’t wait to see you guys, the fans, next weekend. So make sure you come out and support the Beer
Former US Masters champion Zach Johnson was left embarrassed after a foul-mouthed response to ironic cheers from spectators after a triple bogey at Augusta National on Friday. Johnson, the 2007 Masters winner, missed the cut after his three-over-par round of 75 left him on seven-over 151 for 36 holes, his six on the par-three 12th playing a big role in his downfall. Television footage showed Johnson reacting to sarcastic cheers and applause when he tapped in for the triple bogey by yelling: “Oh fuck off.” Such a response would be considered bad form in any golf tournament, but is particularly out of keeping
Taiwan’s Lee Jhe-huei and Yang Po-hsuan on Saturday won the men’s doubles bronze medal at the Badminton Asia Championships in Ningbo, China, after they were bested by the hosts in their semi-final. The Taiwanese shuttlers lost to China’s Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang, who advanced to yesterday’s final against Malaysia’s Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzudin. The Chinese pair outplayed Lee and Yang in straight games. Although the Taiwanese got off to a slow start in the first game, they eventually tied it 14-14, before Liang and Wang went on to blow past them to win 21-17. In the second game, Lee and