{"id":667166,"date":"2026-05-13T01:16:14","date_gmt":"2026-05-13T01:16:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/667166\/"},"modified":"2026-05-13T01:16:14","modified_gmt":"2026-05-13T01:16:14","slug":"how-cricket-victoria-is-helping-indian-australian-girls-explore-identity-and-leadership","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/667166\/","title":{"rendered":"How Cricket Victoria is helping Indian-Australian girls explore identity and leadership"},"content":{"rendered":"

In a quiet corner of regional Victoria, 22 young women gathered not just to play cricket, but to explore who they are, where they come from, and what kind of leaders they might become.<\/p>\n

The inaugural Cricket and Culture Leadership Camp, delivered by the Cricket Victoria Foundation in partnership with the Phillips Foundation, brought together South Asian female leaders aged across Victoria for a weekend that blended sport, storytelling and self-discovery.<\/p>\n

Over two days, cricket was the entry point \u2014 but not the end goal.<\/p>\n

\"\"Image: Cricket Victoria Foundation and the Phillips Foundation hosted the inaugural Cricket and Culture Leadership Camp (Source: Cricket Victoria \u2013 LinkedIn)<\/p>\n

Instead, participants moved through a program of leadership workshops, team challenges and cultural reflection, designed to build confidence and connection. Activities ranged from public speaking sessions and structured debates to outdoor challenges including an Amazing Race-style activity and a low ropes course.<\/p>\n

For many, it was the first time they had been in a space where both their cultural identity and their sporting ambitions were equally centred.<\/p>\n

Led by facilitator Khayshie Tilak Ramesh, the camp encouraged participants to speak openly about identity, belonging and the pressures of navigating multiple expectations \u2014 within sport, family and community.<\/p>\n

\"\"Image: Cricket Victoria Foundation and the Phillips Foundation hosted the inaugural Cricket and Culture Leadership Camp (Source: Cricket Victoria \u2013 LinkedIn)<\/p>\n

Cricket Victoria said all 22 participants were identified through its community pathways as emerging leaders within their local clubs and associations.<\/p>\n

Cricket Victoria Foundation Head Ben Brennan said the intention was to create something beyond a traditional development program.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese young women arrived as individuals and left as a community,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cCricket was the vehicle, but confidence, identity and belonging were the destination.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said early feedback showed strong demand for more programs of this kind, with many participants already keen to return.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat tells you everything about what was created here,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re building something that South Asian girls in Victoria can genuinely call their own.\u201d<\/p>\n

Throughout the weekend, a recurring theme emerged: voice.<\/p>\n

\"\"Image: Cricket Victoria Foundation and the Phillips Foundation hosted the inaugural Cricket and Culture Leadership Camp (Source: Cricket Victoria \u2013 LinkedIn)<\/p>\n

For some participants, that meant learning to speak with more confidence in front of others. For others, it meant realising they already had something worth saying.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt helped me appreciate my culture more,\u201d one participant reflected.<\/p>\n

\"\"Image: Cricket Victoria Foundation and the Phillips Foundation hosted the inaugural Cricket and Culture Leadership Camp (Source: Cricket Victoria \u2013 LinkedIn)<\/p>\n

Another said the experience shifted how she saw herself within her community: <\/p>\n

\u201cLearning that South Asian girls also have a voice and have to stand up for themselves in the community is my biggest takeaway.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Cricket Victoria, the camp represents an early step in a broader effort to make the game more inclusive \u2014 not just in who plays it, but in who feels they belong within it.<\/p>\n

Support our Journalism<\/p>\n

No-nonsense journalism. No paywalls.\u00a0Whether you\u2019re in Australia, the UK, Canada, the USA, or India, you can support The Australia Today by taking a paid subscription via\u00a0Patreon\u00a0<\/a>or donating via PayPal \u2014 and help keep honest, fearless journalism alive.<\/p>\n

\"Add<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In a quiet corner of regional Victoria, 22 young women gathered not just to play cricket, but to…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":667167,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[564],"tags":[64,63,740,85],"class_list":["post-667166","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-cricket","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-cricket","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/667166","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=667166"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/667166\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/667167"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=667166"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=667166"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=667166"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}