Muscat:Youth are the future of any sports and Oman Cricket (OC) is a firm believer in grooming the youngsters in the country.
With an aim to provide a strong foundation, Oman Cricket has roped in an energetic partner in Majees Technical Services (MTS).
Oman is all set to host the prestigious ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup (CWC) Division 2- Asia from September 29-October 7 and the partnership agreement between OC and MTS comes as a perfect boost for the national team.
Speaking at the signing ceremony held at the OC headquarters on Thursday, Ishrath Habibulla, MTS managing director, said, “It is a matter of great pride to join the Oman Cricket family. We are a young company and have been in service for past 15 years. So our focus and aim is to associate ourselves with a similar age-group bracket. The U19 cricket development perfectly matches our ambitions and we are happy to join the journey with Oman Cricket.”
Habibulla, who himself has been an active cricketer in domestic league during his young days, said ‘the remarkable growth of Oman Cricket has made all cricket fans proud’. “We have also fielded team in the Oman Cricket Premier Division last season and had a decent outing. Our love for the game is now further strengthened by our association with U19 cricket,” he said.
The MTS top official said that ‘the journey with Oman Cricket’ and supporting the youth [U19] is the way forward for his company.
Oman Cricket Chairman H E Pankaj Khimji termed the partnership ‘a positive development for the youth cricket’.
After signing the agreement in the presence of the OC board treasurer Alkesh Joshi, OC board member Kiran Asher and OC chief development officer Duleep Mendis, H E Khimji said, “U19 cricket is a very important stage in the development of the game and for the future of our national team. We have witnessed the talent of our U19 players who have grown into our national team stars. The likes of Jatinder Singh, Aqib Ilyas, Sufiyan Mahmood and Wasim Ali have proved their credentials.
“The support we will get for the U19 team from Majees will help us nurture more players in the future. We thank them for their partnership as our boys prepare for the ICC U19 Men’s CWC-Division 2 tournament in Oman later this month.”
H E Khimji said, “Oman cricket’s rise at the global stage is evident and in cricket parlance, we are now a recognised commodity. This has been a result of the success in hosting successfully the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup last year and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Qualifier earlier this year. Our national team’s success at international level has got the corporates notice the value of supporting the game. We hope to give our partners the value in investing with us.”
On this occasion, Mendis said, “The U19 squad acts a feeder for the national team. To get a partner for the young team is an encouraging development that will go a long way in giving a boost to the youth cricket structure in the country.
