Rowdies lift Sprite Cricket trophy

ABU DHABI — Rowdies beat Dubai Municipality to clinch the Sprite Cricket Stars Tournament crown and pocket the AED 50,000 top prize at the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi Friday. The runner-up received AED 25,000 for its effort. Sprite Cricket Stars, the UAE’s official grassroots cricket tournament, concluded its fourth series with a day-long sporting and entertainment event. The tournament is part of the Coca-Cola Company’s global drive to promote a healthy and active lifestyle. It was launched in 2011. Rowdies’ star player Aiyaz Saqib was named Man of the Match and received an 18 carat golden ball and bat, courtesy of Joyalukkas. In a Clash of Champions exhibition game, Kevin Pietersen, former England captain, took on Pakistan’s legend Shoaib Akhtar, widely regarded as the fastest bowler of all time. The tournament’s closing ceremony was attended by representatives from the Coca-Cola Company and SmartLife. Omar Bennis, director of Public Affairs and Communications, Coca-Cola Middle East, said: “Coca-Cola Middle East is committed to promoting an active, healthy lifestyle and we are proud to see the high level of public interest the tournament generated over the past six months, with more than 500,000 people engaged.” The event also featured the Sprite 24/7 Project, a cricket initiative launched by the KP24 Foundation, a non-profit organization established by Pietersen to help underprivileged teens globally. The Sprite 24/7 Project offered young players aged between 16 and 18 training sessions with a selection of professional players and coaches, including Pietersen, before going on to represent their countries in a global T20 tournament in front of 10,000 spectators at the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium. Sports fans were also treated to live performances by stars such as comedian Rauf Lala, Bollywood actress Riya Sen, Bollywood dancers, music bands, Dhol players, cheerleaders and others. — SG