'Ap ki speech sun ke maaza aa gaya' - Fans react as Jay Shah announces launch of 'Criiio 4 Good' initiative to promote gender equality and life skills through cricket

The Cricket Governing Body and official charity partner UNICEF on Thursday, September 28, launched an initiative called 'Criiio 4 Good' to promote gender equality and vital life skills through cricket. The event was launched in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Government of India and the Indian Cricket Board at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, where the 2023 Men's World Cup begins in a week.

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The online program will consist of sport-for-development modules focused on gender equality, taught through cricket. Aimed at both boys and girls, the initiative will cover several aspects including leadership, problem-solving, confidence, decision-making, negotiation, empathy, teamwork and goal-setting.

Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Minister of Education, Government of India; Jay Shah, Honorary Secretary, Board of Control for Cricket in India; Smriti Mandhana, India vice-captain; Anurag Dahiya, Cricket Governing Body Chief Commercial Officer were the few key figures who attended the momentous occasion in the history of cricket.

A landmark step towards empowering the youth: Jay Shah

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Speaking on the occasion, Indian Cricket Board Honorary Secretary Jay Shah said: "The Cricket World Cup is set to inspire the children of India over the course of the next two months and this initiative is a landmark step towards empowering the youth of our nation. Criiio 4 Good not only promotes the values of cricket but also imparts crucial life skills, including the significance of gender equity. It's a significant stride towards building a more equitable and enlightened future for our children."

Mandana, the vice-captain and opener of the Indian women's cricket team, taught the first modules to more than 1,000 children. “I am immensely proud to support the ICC and UNICEF together with Ministry of Education and BCCI on the Criiio 4 Good initiative. The modules are extremely engaging, and they use the power of cricket to talk about essential life skills and gender equity, among girls and boys in a fun, interactive way. Both girls and boys must be equally supported to reach their full potential, in sport and in life. This is an effort to give message out in a simple and engaging manner," she said.

Meanwhile, Shah, who is also the president of the Asian Cricket Council, announced the launch of the program and expressed his support on his social media handle. He also said that each of the eight learning modules is available for free at criiio.com/criiio4good.

Check out Jay Shah's tweet and how fans reacted:

Wah @JayShah ap ki speech sun ke maaza aa gaya

— Mahtab Ahmad (@MahtabA39927101) September 28, 2023

Good work keep it up.

— hark Chettri (@ChettriHark) September 28, 2023

SPEECH ACHI THI CHOTA BHAI

KITNE DIN PRACTICE KI THI YE SPEECH

— Riyyou (@Riyyou1) September 28, 2023

Great👏👏 🇮🇳❤

Congratulations indian women team 🇮🇳❤

— GORDXROHIT (@gordxrohit) September 28, 2023

Sir u doing tremendous job

— Arjun Singh Munder 🇮🇳 (@arjun_jat20) September 28, 2023

Very good initiative

— Pragati (@TechFinLife) September 28, 2023

What an amazing initiative! It's going to make a huge impact in promoting gender equity and life skills through cricket.

— bigxoidy (@bigxoidy) September 28, 2023

Hats off to Jay Shah for delivering a truly legendary speech that left us all inspired and in awe! His words resonated deeply, reminding us of the power of great leadership and vision. Thank you, Jay Shah! 🙌

— Rohit Choudhary (@iRohitChoudhary) September 28, 2023