Stallions Cricket Academy, the coaching division of Stallions Sports Services, has returned to Qatar, following the successful completion of its inaugural tour of England. The 40-strong party, comprising of a mixture of youth players, coaches, and parents, embarked on the first ever, young cricketers tour of the UK from Qatar, playing over 12 matches in Leeds. Competing strongly against seven teams from Dubai and the UK, Qatar’s youngsters proudly secured third place overall. The Doha-based outfit also won the indoor cricket tournament that was held at the indoor nets of the famous Headingly Stadium in Yorkshire.
As part of the tour, officials from the Stallions Cricket Academy incorporated a visit to the official “home of cricket”, Lord’s Cricket Ground in London, in order to build enthusiasm and awareness for the history, traditions and culture of the game. The visit included an individual indoor coaching session, where players used the latest “Hawk Eye” technology to develop their personal style and talent. It is the first time Qatar’s young players have been exposed to technology of this calibre, and the players were later mentored by professional coaches from the MCC Cricket Academy.
The main sponsors behind the tour are Olympic Sports, Lulu Hypermarket, Doha Bank, Kanoo Freight Services, Solution Shipping and Marine Services and Globelink Weststar Shipping Services who supported the tour in many ways. Zed Communications Qatar also played a small supporting role, sponsoring the players’ kit as for this historic tour.
Commenting on the tour, Stallions Head Coach, Sidath Tennakoon said: “We are delighted that the Stallions Cricket Academy has been successful in touring the UK, in what we hope will be the first of many cricket tours to England. The touring team has been practicing for the past four months and we are extremely happy with the individual and team performance of the children,” he remarked.
The Stallions are planning more tours in the future, with Dubai, Sri Lanka, Australia, and South Africa earmarked by the organizers as locations for the next leg of their ambitious world tour. Officials say that in the coming months, a number of international cricketers will visit Qatar to participate in Cricket Coaching Camps.
The Peninsula
