MINNETONKA, Minnesota — As the 2024 Olympics wind down, some are already looking ahead to 2028 when the summer games will take place in Los Angeles. For the first time in 128 years, cricket will be included in the Olympic games.
Here in Minnesota, fans of the sport have even more to celebrate after a new facility is helping cricketers reach their goals.
"Having this facility, it makes that a reality that guys from Minnesota can go out, compete heavy and maybe make the Olympics one day which is my goal in the future," said Taha Farooqi, 19.
Eka Sport, home to Minnesota Youth Cricket Academy (MYCA), opened in December 2023 in Minnetonka as Minnesota's first indoor facility dedicated to cricket.
Cricket is considered the second most popular sport in the world and is now gaining popularity in the United States.
"It's that kind of envisioning for everybody that there's a spot in this sport now for all age levels and skill levels, boys and girls, women and men, that just kind of is really exciting for us in our first five or six months of being here," said Nick Beecher, one of the four founders of Eka Sport.
Beecher and co-founder Piyush Patel both have kids who play cricket and saw what they were up against: Minnesota winters.
Meanwhile, they would play against kids from other states that can practice outside year-round.
"Especially when other states are able to practice the entire year because they have better weather, it's more important that we have an indoor facility," said Param Patel, 17.
Typically, cricketers would practice in the winter months at batting cages.
"The bounce was weird, the speed was awkward. Here it's a lot better," Kayan Kumar, 11, said.
"It's just a good place to play and it's very fun," added Saanvi Srivastava, 10.
Eka Sport has also given them the ability to practice indoors during a rainy summer.
"The skill level is improving... having... an indoor facility and providing them, enabling all the athletes to come and practice on their own," Patel said.
"Having this opportunity for kids to play has opened it up to new players who just want to try it," Beecher said. "You can come in, try a few lessons, and see if it's for you... You're not committing to be on a competitive team right away like it was when we only had three months of the year to practice. We have more programs that offer everything from kids who just want to do beginners once a week... all the way to kids that hopefully one day will be playing for the U.S. National team."
You can learn more about Eka Sport and MYCA, here.
Eka Sport
15314 Minnetonka Industrial Road
Minnetonka, MN 55345