Northern Territory Cricket have shared their disappointment in Cricket Australia's decision to move the National Indigenous Cricket Championships away from Mparntwe/Alice Springs.
Cricket Australia (CA) announced Mackay as the host city of this season's National Indigenous Cricket Championships (NICC) on Tuesday, bringing an end to the Red Centre's eight year tenure at NICC host.
Following the announcement, NT Cricket chief executive officer, Gavin Dovey, conveyed the organisation's disappointment in losing the tournament's hosting rights.
"We are obviously disappointed the NICC won't be held in the Northern Territory next year," Mr Dovey said.
"We believe Mparntwe is the spiritual home of Indigenous cricket so we would have liked to see this important cultural sporting event remain in Central Australia in 2025 and beyond."
Beginning with Tasmania, state and territory sides have travelled to Mparntwe/Alice Springs since 2001 to participate in the state and territory division of Central Australia's longtime Indigenous cricket tournament, the Imparja Cup.
This was until 2016, when Cricket Australia reformatted the state and territory division of the Imparja Cup to the National Indigenous Cricket Championships, a standalone tournament designed to support Indigenous pathway cricketers with aspirations to play first-class cricket.
Mr Dovey said Cricket NT intends to engage with the newly-elected Country Liberal Party to see the NICC return "home" to the Northern Territory in the future.
"…we respect the process that has been undertaken by Cricket Australia and the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cricket Advisory Group (NATSICAC), and look forward to the opportunity to work with the new Northern Territory Government to bring the event home at some point in the future," Mr Dovey said.
NT Cricket said in light of the NICC's departure, a focus would be placed on "driving increased participation and engagement of Indigenous communities at a community, school and grassroots level".
This includes Timber Creek's Dingo Cup, Borroloola's Barra Cup, Katherine's Nitmiluk Cup and Tennant Creek's Rossy Williams Shield.
Following the announcement of the NICC departing Alice Springs, Cricket NT confirmed the Imparja Cup would remain in Alice Springs in 2025, saying Australia's biggest cricket festival now shapes as "a selection vehicle for talented young male and female Indigenous players interested in representing the Northern Territory at the 2025 NICC".
The Northern Territory did not field a men's or women's team in the 2024 NICC tournament.
The 2025 National Indigenous Cricket Championships will be held at Mackay's Great Barrier Reef Arena and Harrup Park from April 2-7, with the Imparja Cup expected to be held across venues in Mparntwe/Alice Springs in February.
