By Ntokozo Magongo
MBABANE – The National Men’s Cricket team left the country for Nigeria with their heads high after receiving E50 000 from Century Fashions and Easy Buy.
Yesterday (Wednesday, November 20, 2024), Minister of Sports, Culture and Youth Affairs Bongani Nzima bade farewell to the team and also presented it with the E50 000. The team will be playing in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Sub Regional Africa Qualifier C in Abuja, Nigeria.
The minister encouraged the players to represent the country with pride, uphold the spirit of patriotism and use this opportunity to establish connections with other participating nations. He emphasised the importance of exchanging ideas and experiences to improve the standard of cricket.
The Honourable minister also urged the Eswatini Cricket Association (ECA) to focus on strengthening grassroots programmes, particularly in schools and to engage more indigenous players in the sport to ensure its growth and development in the country.
The tournament will take place from November 23-29, 2024 where Eswatini will face five countries being Nigeria, St Helena, Sierra Leone, Botswana and Côte d’Ivoire.
Among the distinguished guests was the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Eswatini Sport and Recreation Council (ESRC) Darius Dlomo who also shared his support for the team and the sport. In his remarks, Dlomo praised the leadership of the ECA for abiding by the regulations set by the Sports Council, which has led to its status as a licensed national federation. He also extended gratitude to Century Fashions and their core sponsor, Easy Buy for their generous contribution of E50 000 towards the team’s clothing.
It is worth noting that Century Fashions and Easy Buy are also the proud sponsors of the EBM (cricket) League for the 2023/ 2024 season highlighting their dedication to advancing the sport at every level.
The Coach of the team is Sohail Khan while Mandla Dlamini is the team Manager. The players are Adil Butt (Captain), Buhle Dlamini, Javid Suleman, Joseph Wright, Umair Qasim, Muhammad Amin, Minhaz Khorbariya, Melusi Magagula, Rohan Sandeep, Mancoba Jele, Mohammed Alangir, Veli Jele, Tarun Sandeep and Thandolwethu Dlamini.
