Yorkshire County Cricket Club hosts first ever Diwali celebration at Headingley

Yorkshire CCC have made history by hosting its first ever Diwali celebration event. Two hundred guests attended the event at Headingley Cricket Ground including senior members of the club and senior religious leaders.

Legendary figures of Yorkshire CCC including Geoffrey Boycott and Sir Dickie Bird were in attendance for the celebrations. The pair helped to cut the traditional Diwali celebration cake before a special dance performance by the Punjabi Roots Academy.

Guests were invited to observe the multi faith Lighting of Diwali Diyas, with participants including: Bishop Chris Edmondson, Chaplain to YCCC; Dr. John Slater, representative of Harrogate Synagogue; Squadron Leader Amir Khan, Muslim Representative of the Royal Air Force; Mr Gurdev Singh MBE, Sikh Chaplain; Mr Haridas Shukla, Hindu Chaplain; Mr Roy Poulter, Buddhist Chaplain; Dr Shashank Vikram, Consul General of India; and West Yorkshire Mayor, Tracy Brabin.

Kavita Singh, YCCC board member and organiser of the Diwali dinner, said: “We’re delighted to host so many from across communities within Yorkshire to celebrate our first Diwali celebration dinner and thank all our guests for making this an incredible evening. Diwali is celebrated by millions across the cricketing world, including hundreds of families in Yorkshire, who are an important and integral part of the Yorkshire Cricket Family.

“To have had people from such a wide range of backgrounds coming together to celebrate really demonstrates the power of this Club and the wider sport to unify and reflect the rich and diverse cultures in Yorkshire. We are committed to continuing the celebration of all events that are of significance to our communities.

“We can’t wait for many more celebrations of this kind in the months and years to come.” West Yorkshire Mayor, Tracy Brabin, said: “It’s fantastic to celebrate Diwali together with a truly diverse group of individuals and I want to congratulate Kavita and the team at YCCC for hosting an amazing evening.

“It’s incredibly important for leaders from different backgrounds across the region to stay connected – celebrations like tonight can continue to support this for many years to come.”