Cricketer provides anecdotes from experiences

Former England cricket captain Mike Gatting, left, speaks at the British Embassy’s Aston Hall in Seoul, Friday. / Courtesy of BCCK

By John Redmond

The British Chamber of Commerce in Korea (BCCK) hosted an “Interview Evening” with former professional cricketer Mike Gatting at the British Embassy in Seoul, June 9.

Gatting’s visit to Korea was part of his work promoting grassroots cricket worldwide.

The event was moderated by Graeme Salt, headmaster of Dulwich College Seoul.

The event began with a networking session with food and drinks provided by Crave Foods, followed by a Q&A period.

Gatting provided anecdotes and stories from his experiences as a world-class cricketer and cricket captain spanning over three decades.

The former cricketer played first-class cricket for Middlesex from 1975 to 1997 and for England from 1977 to 1995, captaining the national side in 23 matches between 1986 and 1988, including an Ashes-winning series.

Cricket was introduced to Korea in the early 1980s by foreigners who lived here and played in the Korea Cricket Association (KCA) which was set up in the early 1990s.

The KCA became an associate member of the Korean Olympic Committee in 2013 and provided full support to the national team for the success of the 2014 Incheon Asian Games.

“There is a growing interest in cricket in Korea and as a chamber we are happy to support the promotion of the sport in the country,” BCCK CEO Sean Blakeley said.

The event was attended by Korea’s former national cricket team captain Lee Hwa-yeon and Samuel Yang, founder of Kingdom Education and the sponsor of Gatting’s visit to Korea.

The BCCK’s Interview Evenings are held at the British Embassy’s Aston Hall and feature speakers of interest to the international and Korean communities. The BCCK has held Interview Evenings in the past with North Korean defector Lee Hyeon-seo and expat author-journalist Michael Breen.