JEDDAH: More than 6,800 cricketers are competing in Saudi Arabia’s largest-ever cricket tournament, with matches in 11 cities as part of a national championship, state media reports.
Players from 369 teams representing 15 local cricket associations are taking part in the 11-week National Cricket Championship 2021, which was launched on January 29 and is due to end next month.
Matches in the T20-format competition take place every Friday on 106 pitches around 11 cities — Riyadh, Dammam, Jubail, Jeddah, Madinah, Yanbu, Tabuk, Abha, Jazan, Qassim and Najran.
The competition has been organized by the Saudi Sports for All Federation (SFA) and the Saudi Arabian Cricket Federation (SACF).
Softball cricket tournaments will also be organized with two stages, the first between February and April, and the second between October and November 2022, Arab News: reports.
Eleven Saudi cities — Riyadh, Dammam, Jubail, Jeddah, Tabuk, Makkah, Yanbu and Jazan, Farasan Island, Taif and Hail — will host the events, with more than 5,000 players competing.
The events are expected to be popular with a wide range of residents in the Kingdom, especially those from countries where the game is popular, such as India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal, SFA president, told Arab News: “People see the (South) Asian community’s fantastic passion for cricket; the players are deeply devoted to the sport. This is what we want to see of all nationalities in the Kingdom during this activation.
“Our ideal scenario is that anyone who is curious about cricket will be welcomed into the fold, and these advanced players will impart their experience and love of the game, spreading it further than ever.”
Chairman of the SACF, Saud bin Mishaal, said: “Since Vision 2030 was introduced, Saudi Arabia has made great strides toward achieving a prosperous future for all residents of the country. Organizing such programs for expats, especially those from countries where cricket is so popular, is a major goal of Sport for All within the nation’s Quality of Life Program.”
Nadeem Nadwi, the Jeddah-based Indian entrepreneur and SACF general manager, said: “Cricket has been played in Saudi Arabia by the expatriate community of the subcontinent since the 1960s. However, organized cricket started in 1976 with the formation of three major cricket associations in Jeddah, Riyadh and Dammam.
“In 2003, the Saudi Cricket Center was established under the patronage of Princess Ghada bint Hamoud bin Abdul Aziz to promote and develop the game at grassroots level and pave the way for a Saudi presence in international cricket.”
Abbas Saad Al-Nadwi, a Saudi certified level 2 coach since 2016, told Arab News that the future of cricket in Saudi Arabia is promising, especially with the support the game receives from the Olympic Committee and the SAF.
“The establishment of a federation for the sport reflects the keenness of the sports authorities in Saudi Arabia to attract more young people to the game,” he said.
