Australian cricket star joins Australia Week celebrations in PNG

Australian women’s cricket star Alyssa Healy will spend three days in Papua New Guinea as part of the annual Australia Week celebrations in Port Moresby to launch a new women’s cricket project and a new pitch funded by the East Asia-Pacific Community Facilities Fund.

Her visit has been made possible thanks to support from the Australian Government, Cricket Australia and the International Cricket Council’s East Asia-Pacific office.

Ms Healy plays for the Australian women’s cricket team, the Southern Stars, and is part of the record breaking NSW women’s cricket team, the Breakers, who have won a 10 consecutive Women’s National Cricket League titles. She is the niece of Australian cricket great Ian Healy.

Ms Healy, who is currently preparing for the Southern Stars’ tour to the UK for the Women’s Ashes, will arrive in PNG on Thursday 28 May and spend Friday morning training with the PNG women’s cricket team, the Pacific MMI Lewas, at Amini Park. The Lewas are preparing for their first ever Pacific Games and Ms Healy’s assistance will be a timely boost for the team.

Ms Healy will attend Cricket PNG’s launch of a new pitch at Vabukori Village, funded through the East Asia-Pacific Community Facilities Fund. The fund was set up by Cricket Australia, New Zealand Cricket and the ICC as a legacy initiative following the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup and aims to increase the number of community cricket facilities across the East Asia-Pacific region.

On Saturday 30 May, Ms Healy will join Australia’s High Commissioner to PNG, Her Excellency Ms Deborah Stokes, for Cricket PNG’s formal launch of their new women’s empowerment project, the Girls Empowerment Through Cricket (GET) Program at Amini Park. The program is a joint initiative between Cricket PNG, the Australian Government and the ICC and targets high school aged girls in PNG.

The GET Program aims to increase the number of girls playing regular cricket in PNG, while also educating the girls on topics such as nutrition, financial literacy, career and education options, and leadership. Cricket PNG has partnered with several non-government organisations for the delivery of the education sessions and is employing current national women’s cricketers to deliver the cricket clinics and competition.

Ms Healy will attend a cricket match between Tubuseria Village and the Australian High Commission. All activities are part of the official Australia Week program in PNG.

Australian High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea, Ms Deborah Stokes, said Ms Healy’s visit would highlight the opportunities through sport to increase gender equality and improve the health and education outcomes for girls and women.

“As a part of Australia Week, this visit is another opportunity to celebrate the contribution of sport to the close relationship between Australia and PNG,” Ms Stokes said.