50-overs cricket Premier League launched

UAE Exchange & Xpress Money in collaboration with Rwanda Cricket Association (RCA) on Saturday launched the inaugural edition of 50 overs Premier League at Kicukiro oval.

Saturday, September 06, 2014
RCA boss Haba (2nd from left) and his deputy Srinath Vardhinen (L) receiving the dummy cheque from Xpress Money regional marketing manager Bulath (2nd from right). (Pontian Kabeera)

Today

KCC vs Telugu CC 9am

UAE Exchange & Xpress Money in collaboration with Rwanda Cricket Association (RCA) on Saturday launched the inaugural edition of 50 overs Premier League at Kicukiro oval.

During this competition, the top seven men’s teams will be split into two groups and will accumulate points for every result. The top two teams in each group after the preliminaries will qualify for the semi-finals.

The RCA general manager Joshua Mwanja told Sunday Sport that the competition will not only provide long version playing opportunities for men’s cricket but will also an opportunity for leading clubs to face-off in a highly competitive tournament.

The seven men’s clubs that will compete for the title include; Victory CC, Indorwa CC, Kerala Hunters CC, Challengers CC, Kigali CC, Right Guards CC and Telugu CC.

This weekend will also see the second edition of the UAE Exchange & Xpress Money Women T20 tournament launched. The women teams will play a round robin format and the top two teams will qualify for the final.

The women’s teams include; defending champions Queens of Victory CC, Kigali Angels CC, White Clouds CC and Charity CC.

"UAE Exchange and Xpress Money are our biggest domestic league sponsors. I thank them for their continued support in developing Rwandan cricket,” the RCA boss Charles Haba said in a statement.

The Guest of honor at the launch was Xpress Money regional marketing manager Ravi Bulath, who was accompanied by the head of operations business development of UAE Exchange Rwanda Riaz Naghoor.Bulath said: "The main reason why we sponsor cricket is because the game is growing in Rwanda and so we want to grow with it.”

Also in attendance was the vice president of Rwanda Olympic Committee and Sports Elie Manirarora, who commended RCA for being able to attract big sponsors for their competitions, urging other local federations to borrow a leaf.

UAE Exchange & Xpress Money injected Rwf2 millions to run the three-month long league on top of providing t-shirts to all participating teams. The champions in both genders will take home a trophy and Rwf100, 000 in prize money.