As a member of the significant Indian immigrant population in New Jersey, I have grown up with cricket being an integral part of my life. This sport is more than just a game for us; it's a piece of our cultural identity that we've brought with us to the United States. Unfortunately, despite its popularity among diverse communities, cricket is not recognized as a varsity sport by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA).

The 2024 Cricket World Cup will be happening in the US this June. And cricket will be an Olympic sport starting 2028, also in the USA.

Cricket has over 2.5 billion fans worldwide and is considered the second most popular sport after soccer (Source: World Atlas). In states like California and Maryland, high schools have already started embracing this global sport (Source: USA Cricket). It's time for New Jersey to follow suit.

Recognizing cricket as a varsity sport will provide students with opportunities to engage in healthy competition and represent their schools at state and national levels. It will also foster cultural inclusivity within our school system by acknowledging sports loved by immigrant communities.

This sport would be very popular in New Jersey because of the high commonwealth population. 

We urge NJSIAA to consider our request seriously. By doing so, they would not only be promoting physical activity among students but also celebrating diversity which is one of America's greatest strengths.

Please sign this petition if you believe that cricket should be recognized as a varsity sport in New Jersey high schools.