With the Indoor Cricket Masters World Series set to be held in Sri Lanka, the South African Indoor Cricket Union has launched a campaign to get all its teams there.
South Africa (May 28, 2024) — The South African indoor cricket team has qualified to play in the Masters World Series, which will be held in Sri Lanka from 28 September to 5 October 2024. The participating teams include a 30-member women's team and men's teams in the over-35, 40, 45 and 50 age groups.
The South African Indoor Cricket Union will send one team of about 80 players per category, including umpires and local officials, and has launched a funding campaign to attract as many players as possible.
Janna Bedford-Owen from the women's team has reached out to spread the word about the campaign, hoping that South Africans will get behind the team.
“Unfortunately, most amateur sports are player and self-funded, making it difficult to take part in events such as the Masters World Cup in Sri Lanka in September 2024. We would love to continue to participate and hopefully defend our World Champion title for a third time (a real source of pride for the team and a truly humbling experience for the players). We continue our fundraising efforts but are also seeking help from potential sponsors to help us reach our goal – every little bit is much appreciated.” – Gianna Bedford-Owen
SAICF president Ray Lawrence has issued an official sponsorship appeal to South African supporters to garner support for the team that will be representing South Africa in Sri Lanka.
“This is a great opportunity for our players to prove their abilities and skills at international level.
Unfortunately, this amazing opportunity comes with many challenges, including the cost of attending such a prestigious event.“The team is asking local businesses to help make this happen and make an international statement, and we're putting our stamp on it. Opportunities like this don't come around very often.” – Ray Lawrence
It is estimated that participation will cost around R50 000 per player, including flights, visas, transport, accommodation, equipment and match fees.
Participating countries so far:
- South Africa
- Australia
- new zealand
- England
- United Arab Emirates
- Sri Lanka
- India
- Singapore
- Indonesia
- USA (not yet confirmed)
“In 2019, history was made again with two South African teams competing in the finals, demonstrating the depth of talent in the indoor community.” – Janna Bedford-Owen
If you would like to support the team and become a sponsor you can contact Ray by email here
