New Delhi, Apr 11 (IANS): A few weeks ahead of the 2023 Cricket World Cup, 22 teams comprising of street children from 16 countries will gather in India to participate in Street Child Cricket World Cup (SCCWC 2023) in September next year.

The unique 10-day event sees street-connected children and young people take part in a mixed-gender cricket tournament, a festival of arts and a congress to champion the rights of street children worldwide.

The event will be organised by Save the Children, India (Bal Raksha Bharat) and Street Child United will be the second edition of the tournament. The inaugural event was organised in London/Cambridge in 2019, where eight teams competed in which Team India South emerged victorious after beating hosts England in a highly-competitive final.

The winners will return in 2023 to defend their title alongside seven other teams from India who will represent organisations from across different regions of the country, the organisers informed in a release on Monday.

The event will also have teams from Bangladesh, Bolivia, Brazil, Burundi, England, Hungary, Mauritius, Mexico, Nepal, Rwanda, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe.

The event will have a central focus on 'identity' and the access to services that come with a formal ID and or birth registration.

Speaking about the goals of the Street Child Cricket World Cup, Street Child United's founder and CEO John Wroe said, "The SCCWC will be a catalyst for One million young people globally receiving identity for the very first time. This is our legacy challenge for the 2nd SCCWC. It will be achieved because the whole world will conspire with us.

"This is a unique event that can show the world how cricket is helping give street children a voice to challenge the negative perceptions they face. We are extremely excited to be working alongside Save the Children India to deliver the SCCWC 2023. This is a unique event that can show the world how cricket is helping give street children a voice to challenge the negative perceptions associated with their situation. It is a universal call for governments to ensure that street children everywhere are better protected, and granted access to basic services that so many of us take for granted," he added.

Sudarshan Suchi, CEO, Save the Children, India commented, "Every child deserves an identity, and thus we are committed to making the 'Invisibles' visible and bringing them into the mainstream. The idea of sports, and in that cricket becoming the pivot, is an opportunity we are excited about as we host the Street Child Cricket World Cup here in India and show the world what a powerful vehicle sport in general and cricket, in particular, can be in helping drive the change we want to create for these young people."

In addition to the partnership between Street Child United and Save the Children the SCCWC 2023 will be a collaboration of efforts with several other supporting organisations and individuals including the World Bank, ICC and the British High Commission.