I became involved with El Shaddai in 2002. I had a conversation at Anjuna market with co-founder Anita Edgar and she discovered that l was a cricket coach and invited me to coach the boys at Victory House. From my first visit, l was astounded at their enthusiasm, their natural ability and their athleticism, to name just a few of their attributes. The boys now have two players in the college cricket team with several more likely to be added to the team in the next college year.
From 2019, the girls were included and they now have their own practice sessions separate from the boys at Shekinah House. Four years on and El Shaddai now have several 17-18 year old girls in the college cricket team.
We’re currently making a big effort to get more local adults involved including ex El Shaddai boys who love cricket.
As the years have gone by and l approached retirement, instead of coaching 2-3 weeks at a time, it increased to 2-3 months, mainly in January and February. I also spend time fundraising in the UK to help purchase cricket equipment and kit for the boys and girls teams and to raise awareness of El Shaddai and the fantastic work that they do.
