JEDDAH: The Jeddah Cricket Association inauguration was held last Thursday at Hotel Tulip in a glittering ceremony which was widely attended by dignitaries including Ibrahim Mohammed Al Badawi, chairman of Yanbu Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Saeed Anwar, former Test Cricketer from Pakistan; Nasrullah Wattoo, Welfare Consul Pakistan Consulate; Zafar Iqbal, Economic Minister Pakistan Consulate, Zahid Ali President of Medina Cricket Association, Abdul Jabbar President of Yanbu Cricket League, Muneer Gondal and Tariq Anwar from Pakistan Executive Forum Group.
The guest list also includes Nadeem Bhamla from Jeddah Chapter Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, Mohammad Siadath Ali Khan, Bader Ansari, Sultan Mazharuddin, Salabat Lodhi, Mudassir Bukhari from Khak-E-Taiba Trust and Jamal Quadri of Urdu Academy, Mahtab Qadar from Urdu Gulban, Dilip Tambe, Faisal Karim and Muzakkir Bukhari of Jotun Paints Saudi Arabia.
Chief guest Al Badawi appreciated the excellent work done by JCA in getting the grounds ready in a record time and assured the chairman of his full support to JCA in Jeddah as well as in Yanbu. He praised Thursday’s function put together by the Executive Committee of JCA under the leadership of Chairman Faiz Al Abideen and President Mohammed Iqbal. Al Badawi thanked JCA for giving him an opportunity to be the chief guest in the company of former Test cricket player Saeed Anwar.
Iqbal thanked Al Abideen and Humayoon Farooq who was instrumental in Sheikh Najeeb donating a parcel of land for the cause of cricket.
Wattoo, the consul welfare Pakistan Consulate, congratulated the JCA committee for the remarkable achievement of the cricket complex completion and the start of the new league. He said it will bring communities together and keep the people healthy by participating in sports activities.
Anwar in his speech thanked JCA for the sound opening stand which they have given to fellow cricketers to display and nurture their skills. He said that it is an ideal place for school cricketers expatriates and Saudis alike to start at grassroots level and build themselves up as young exciting cricketers and further pursue their cricketing talent. He thanked JCA for giving him an opportunity to be present for the inauguration and was looking forward to play on the cricket pitches in Saudi Arabia where he first started his career in Riyadh in 1979.
Al Abideen welcomed Al Badawi and Anwar as well as other dignitaries, fellow cricketers, sponsors and guests with the Islamic greeting. He said JCA achieved what it promised by the grace of Allah the Almighty and will further prove its worth during the next five years by taking cricket to new heights in the Kingdom. He hoped that the facilities already built so far will be a good boost to the cricketers and that JCA will continue to improve the facilities during the next few years.