Rare treat for Dar fans as special tourney starts
What you need to know:
The three-month tournament has drawn players from eight countries, including the United States, Australia, India, Zimbabwe and South Africa
Dar es Salaam. The Annadil Burhani ground will be a hive of activity for three months, as it hosts a special indoor cricket tournament featuring 20 teams.
Sponsored by Renault Tanzania, the tournament, the first event of its kind in the country, roared into life yesterday.
It has drawn players from United Kingdom, United States, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Australia, India, New Zealand and hosts Tanzania, according to Annadil Burhani chairman, Taher Jafferji. Speaking to The Citizen yesterday, Jafferj said the teams have been put in two groups of 10 sides each.
He said that participation in the high-profile tournament would complement their current efforts to promote the sport in the country
“We want Tanzanian players to compete in the tournament and share skills, experience and ideas with players from around the world,” Jafferji. Said.
He asked relevant authorities to make indoor cricket a national obsession by imbedding it into cultures and passion of all Tanzanians. He said their decision to organise the championship stems from the fact that they want Tanzania to join the best indoor cricket playing nations in the world.
“I would like to thank Renault Tanzania for sponsoring the tournament, which has drawn elite players from around the world,” Jafferji said.
Indoor cricket is most often played between two teams each consisting of six or eight players.
Several versions of the game have been in existence since the late 1960s, whilst the game in its present form began to take shape in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
