Oman Cricket hopes to start leagues in Sohar, Salalah

Sports Wednesday 28/September/2016 23:09 PM
By: Times News Service
Oman Cricket hopes to start leagues in Sohar, Salalah

Muscat: The Oman Cricket is hoping to start new league tournaments in Sohar and Salalah while the Sultanate’s cricket body is also finalising the plans for their new headquarters.
Oman Cricket board member Pankaj Khimji revealed this during the annual Awards Gala Al Falaj Hotel on Wednesday.
The ceremony, which honoured the achievers of the 2015-2016 season and the those who contributed to the success of Oman cricket, was presided over by Shaikh Saad bin Mohammed Al Mardhouf Al Saadi, the Minister of Sports Affairs.
Sri Lanka Cricket board cheif Thilanga Sumathipala, who is also the Deputy Speaker of Sri Lankan Parliament, graced the occasion as a special invitee.
In his speech, Pankaj Khimji said: “Cricket is living its dream as I speak. We will award the contract for Oman Crikcet headquarter to Huckle and Partners on October 3 and we will have a full fledged Club House functioning by October 3 in 2017.”
Speaking about the ground development works in Al Amerat, he said: “The green Ground I in Amerat was relaid and it now has 12 pitches with floodlights. Ground II has been greened with turf pitches which will double the number of games being played on turf this season.”
Referring to the plans to take cricket to the other parts the Sultanate, he said: “Cricket leagues should start in Sohar and Salalah too next year.”
Pankaj also thanked His Majesty the Sultan and Ministry of Sports Affairs for their continued and valuable support to Oman Cricket.
During the ceremony, the Oman Cricket also launched new interactive OC website that will offer a whole new experience to the users with updated news, analysis, live chat and scores.
“This website is an attempt to put cricket on a digital map in Oman,” Pankaj commented.
Sumathipala in his remarks said: “Oman has been appointed a permanent full member of Asian Cricket Council. Oman Cricket has made great strides in world cricket recently and if it continued to progress the way it is at the moment, it can soon become the strongest cricket nation in the whole Arab region.”
“Oman is on the right track with the right people at the right time,” he added.
“Do you all know that the best catch in the World T20 in India taken by Oman’s player (Zeeshan Maqsood) was watched and appreciated by 400 million people across the world? Oman’s win over Ireland viewed by 200 million people. Oman will not have that kind of reach through any other sport.”
“Oman should be proud of being ranked 16th in the world. This is something that much bigger and much richer countries could not achieve despite best efforts. Cricket is taking Oman places and we at ICC and ACC are pleased with its progress,” he added.
He said he was pleased to see the existing facilities in Amerat and praised Oman Cricket for working unitedly as one family to take cricket forward.
While Oman Cricket presented awards to top two teams as well as the individual performers of all the divisions of the 2015-16 season, the top prize of the evening -- the Player of the Year Award -- went to Benjamin of Passage to India.
During the occasion, cricket body also felicitated retiring curator Mohammed Ishak for his services to Oman Cricket since 2012.
Oman Cricket also presented special mementos to Sumathipala Thilanga, his co-ordinating secretary Chryshantha Kapuwatte, Asian Cricket Council General Manager Thusith Perera and Oman team bowling coach Rumesh Ratnayake.
List of awardees:
J Division: Runners-up: Techno Elevators; Winners: Hydrotech International.
I Division: Runners-up: Douglas OHI; Winners: Khalsa United.
H Division: Runners-up: Starcare Hospital; Winners: National Bank Of Oman.
G Division: Runners-up: Trust Oil Fields; Winners: Rukun Al yaqeen.
F Division: Runners-up: Al Bahihi; Winners: Kairali Restaurant.
E Division: Sayarti; Winners: Global Money Exchange.
D Division (sponsored by Enhance): Runners-up: Attic Outdoors; Winners: Future Oil Fields.
C Division (sponsored Raha Polyproducts): Runners-up: Fap UTSC; Winners: SARCO.
B Division (sponsored by Al Ansari Group): Runners-up: Bisiya; Winners: Al Nahdha CT.
A Division (sponsored by Khimji Ramdas LLC): Runners-up: MDC Enhance Eagles; Winners: National Youth Development Team (NYDT).
Premier Division (sponsored by Muscat Pharmacy & Stores): Runners-up: Muscat CT; Winners: Passage To India.
Individual awards:
Omani players (playing for one team): Best batsman: Ameet Sampat, Al Ansari; Best bowler: Harroon Al Balushi, OCT Al Hail A; Consolation bowling: Shabeeb Pindook Al Balushi, OCT Mabelah.
Omani players (playing for more than one team): Best batsman: Shuaib Ismail Al Balushi, Oct MCT A, NYDT and Al Mardhuf. Best bowler: Shuaib Ismail Al Balushi, Oct MCT A, NYDT and Al Mardhuf. Consolation batting: Khalid Moosa Al Balushi, OCT Al Hail A and MARH; Consolatin bowling: Yousuf Rahim Al Balushi, OCT Seeb, NYDT and Bank Muscat; Best all-rounder: Shuaib Ismail Al Balushi, Oct MCT A, NYDT and Al Mardhuf.
J Division: Best batsman: Aditya Dalvi, Qurum Business Group; Best bowler: Prasobh Mohan, Hussain Fadhil & Partners; Best all-rounder: Khurram Rashid, Hydrotech Intl.
I Division: Best batsman: Sushil Kadam, Khalsa United; Best bowler: Arvind Singh, Khalsa United; Consolation batting: Saifullah Younus, Khalsa United.
H Division: Best batsman: Siddharth Oza, National Bank of Oman; Best bowler: Zafar Iqbal, National Bank of Oman.
G Division: Best batsman: Mohammed Mifas, Rukeen Al Yakeen; Best bowler: Abhishek Kalia, R.K.Group.
F Division: Best batsman: Suraj Rao, Al Bahihi; Best bowler: Jeason Jacob, Kairali Restaurant; Consolation batting: Rafeeq Mohd. Al Balushi, OUA Travel.
E Division: Best batsman: V. Giridharan, Atkins; Best bowler: George Jerrin, Global Money Exchange.
D Division: Best batsman: Prasad Peruli, Landscape; Best bowler: Imran Ali, Future Oilfield.
C Division: Best batsman: Hafiz Zahid Ejaz, SARCO; Best bowler: Hafiz Zahid Ejaz, SARCO; Consolation bowling: Karthik Rajappa, NewrestWacasco, Best all-rounder: Hafiz Zahid Ejaz, SARCO.
B Division: Best batsman: Baber Malik, Al Nahdha CT; Best bowler: Adnan Hussain, BISYA; Consolatin batting: Imran Nasir, Al Nahdha CT; Best all-rounder: Aadil Mohammed, Fair Trade.
A Division: Best batsman: ShuaIb Ismail Al Balushi, NYDT; Best bolwer: Jaspreet Singh, NYDT; Consolation batting: Jahanzeb Ali, Renaissance; Best all-rounder: ShuaIb Ismail Al Balushi, NYDT.
Premier Division: Best batsman: Swapnil Khadye, Muscat CT; Best bowler: Muhammad Bilal, Passage To India; Consolatin batting: Arun Poulose, Assarain.
Player of the year (sponsored by Assarain): Benjamin, Passage to India.
Sponsors
Oman National Team: Oman TEL.
Oman National Team : Samsonite.
Junior U16 Boys & U-19 Women’s Tournament: Al Turki enterprises.
Junior U19 Boys, A Div League & Knock -Out Tournament: Khimji Ramdas LLC.
Premier Division: Muscat Pharmacy & Stores.
B Division League: Al Ansari Group of Companies.
CDivision League: Raha Polyproducts.
D Division League: Enhance.