CRICKET – CRICKET fans in the kingdom are in for a special treat this weekend as the DP World ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Trophy Tour will be coming to Bahrain.
This highly anticipated occasion, organised by the Bahrain Cricket Federation (BCF) in co-operation with the International Cricket Council (ICC), will be held over three days from Friday to Sunday, and it will give enthusiasts of the game the chance to see the prestigious ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Trophy up close.
The tour will be headlined by a Royal Sea Parade along the Manama seafront, during which the trophy will be showcased on a traditional Bahraini dhow alongside a fleet of yachts and boats.
There will also be a number of fan-engagement activations at Water Garden City, The Avenues Bahrain, and Dana Mall, while the trophy will be brought to iconic landmarks across the island and to select schools.
A prestigious gala night will also be held where the trophy will be unveiled in the presence of senior officials.
“We are following the vision of His Highness Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa to promote Bahrain’s sports internationally, and having such a high-impact event in the kingdom such as the DP World ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Trophy Tour will definitely help promote Bahrain’s rich culture to the world and help boost tourism,” BCF advisory board chairman Mohammad Mansoor told the GDN last night, on the sidelines of a Press conference where details of the tour were unveiled.
“This is how we are elevating the game of cricket in Bahrain, through the celebration of such an event.”
Also in attendance at yesterday’s conference were BCF president Sami Ali, general secretary Kishore Kewalram, board members Alison Lillywhite and Sameer Ali Sayed, advisory board member Yousif Lori, treasurer Meenaz Ahmed, and high performance director Prachur Shukla, among other officials.
“This year’s trophy tour has two faces to it: the first is the world looking towards Bahrain as a country that is promoting sports and promoting the game of cricket, and the second is locally, to help Bahrainis understand the game, which will have an impact on its growth in the kingdom,” Ali told the GDN.
“There is a population of 2.5 billion followers of cricket around the world, and this trophy tour will make them look at Bahrain and allow people locally to see it as well.”
This year’s DP World ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Trophy Tour follows a similar event held in 2023 for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Trophy, which attracted tens of thousands of fans as it was taken to various locations across the kingdom.
“The impact of the previous trophy tour really changed many things in Bahrain, in terms of the view towards the game,” Mansoor explained. “Thanks to the government, they have come forward with plans for a cricket stadium and a lot of other facilities to promote sports in Bahrain.
“You can also see that – with Bahrain hosting last year the third Asian Youth Games and with Bahraini athletes winning four medals, including two gold, at the Paris Olympics in 2024 – these achievements are thanks to the efforts of the leaders of the country, who themselves are sportsmen, and are really inspiring the people of Bahrain.”
Added Ali: “The 2023 trophy tour was very successful and we received a lot of appreciation for our event. Most other countries do just one or two days, with people coming and taking photos in a mall or something like that. But we did a whole rally from Juffair to Bahrain International Circuit, and His Highness Shaikh Khalid himself received the trophy in the kingdom, which gave it a very prestigious impact both on the trophy tour and for the game of cricket.
“It showed that the leadership of the kingdom is involved in the development of the game, and that was a very positive message that reached the ICC.
“The ICC has been a major supporter of Bahrain, especially with the chairman of ICC coming here and meeting with His Highness Shaikh Khalid.”
All are invited to be a part of the DP World ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Trophy Tour. It will help generate excitement locally for the 10th edition of the upcoming ICC tournament, which will feature 20 teams who will compete across 29 days of high-intensity cricket at eight world-class venues in India and Sri Lanka, from February 7 to March 8.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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