On Sunday at the Gaborone Sun, the team from Kuwait was crowned the winners of this year’s International Cricket Council (ICC) World Cup league (WCL), Division 7.
In the history of Botswana cricket, never has the Botswana Cricket Association (BCA) hosted an event of such nature.
The tournament, which has been sponsored by Pepsi, the official sponsors of the ICC events, was a way for the 6 teams to try and compete for positions 1 and 2.
The two positions, which went to Kuwait and Nigeria, respectively, are going to proceed to the Division 6 of the World Cup league.
The host, Botswana, came in position 4, while Germany was in Position 3, which meant the two will stay in Division 7.
Position 5 and 6 went to Norway and Japan, which means they have been relegated to Division 8.
At the prize ceremony, Ebrahim Bhamjee, who is the chairman of the BCA, said that people should remember that cricket is a sport that can be played despite one’s surroundings. He pointed out the fact that with the help of his team at the BCA and a number of stakeholders the event became a success.
“It is tournaments such as this, at places such as this, that help promote as a global sport,” said Bhamjee.
For his part, Daniel Tau, the chairman of the Botswana National Sports Council (BNSC) said that Botswana is beginning to be recognised as a power in some sporting codes. He pointed out cricket as one of the relatively new sports in the country.
He said that cricket was growing in leaps and bounds countrywide.Tau said that the sport was developing quickly because of the commitment from the BCA leadership.
“I have no doubt that in the next 10 years, cricket will be amongst the top priority sports in our country,” said Tau.
He was particularly thorough in the praises he sang for Pepsi, saying that in Botswana sports, they believed that ‘sponsors were the giants on whose shoulders we stand on’. He believes that in sports, the teams wouldn’t get far without the support from sponsors.
Player of the Tournament was given to Mohammad Muraid from Kuwait, while Japan won the solidarity for persevering throughout despite the disaster that befell their country.
