U.S. Embassy Kabul Men’s National Cricket League Grant Opportunity

In 2014, PAS supported the development of the Sixers, a franchise-based cricket league in Afghanistan. This cooperative agreement will build on the 2014 program’s success. The successful applicant will 1) organize, produce and TV broadcast the Sixers tournament, 2) train approximately two dozen Afghans in the production of professional sports broadcasts (specifically cricket) 3) develop positive messaging via multiple formats including Public Service Announcements (PSAs), social media, and stadium A-boards, and 4) develop a monitoring and evaluation (M&E) component to assess program progress and impact. At least five regional men’s cricket teams should be formed to compete in a fall 2015 Sixers tournament. The league’s next annual championship should occur in the fall of 2015, with a tournament held in Jalalabad or Kabul.

The tournament should be broadcast throughout Afghanistan. As Afghanistan still lacks the equipment to film cricket games at international standards, this award may be used to buy or rent equipment, while providing film crews and on-air commentators additional capacity building. This award will also support activities to promote positive messages (e.g. messages of peace, tolerance, unity, reconciliation) through television, social media and other means.

As a condition of this award, the grantee must work with OneTV, and details of the sub-award budget and activities must be included in the applicant’s proposal. OneTV holds the broadcasting rights for the Sixers tournament and requires additional capacity building in order for the production and broadcast of the Sixers tournament to continue in future years. In 2014, part of the project supported limited training for OneTV broadcast staff and short-term film equipment rental.