JEDDAH, 10 October 2003 — The Jeddah Cricket League launched its new season with the commemoration of the Saudi National Day with competitive matches and now plans to roll out its 2003-04 schedule with its usual leagues and school matches after Ramadan. Recently-elected President Shahid Amin revealed this at a press conference at La Sani Restaurant.
The meeting started with a recitation from the Holy Qur’an by Syed Musarrat Khalil. Amin then welcomed the press and informed them of the recently held election for the JCL Executive Committee. Fifteen members were elected, of which 12 were from the old committee and included three new faces.
The names of JCL Executive Committee members are Shahid Amin, Mohammed Iqbal, Afsar Faheem, Sadequl Islam, Akhtar Hussain, Iftekhar Hussain, Aijaz Khan, Hamid Rana, Ahsan Rafay, Majeedul Hasan, Naeemullah Khan, Saeed-ul Hasan, Syed Muzaffar Husain and K. Azizullah Shariff.
Amin also welcomed old comrades of JCL — Habib Khan, Tauqeer Shah, M. Iftakhar Hussain, Syed Muzaffar Husain and Zain Khan — who have played cricket since its inception. He briefed the press on JCL activities carried out during the year 2002-03 and the plans for the coming season. He said that during 2002-03, JCL leagues were sponsored by Kanoo for the 14th year and Fuchs Petroleum for the 15th year. JCL itself sponsored one of the leagues and a Under-17 schools tournament besides hosting the EPCA for an intercity event in Jeddah wherein JCL went on to make a clean sweep winning all the three matches - JCL XI defeating EPCA XI, JCL President XI winning against EPCA XI and JCL Committee XI trouncing their EPCA counterparts.
He went on to praise the media for its support of JCL activities. He informed the press that in 2002 JCL managed to hold two leagues for the schools — the Under-19 sponsored by Arab News and the Under-15 sponsored by Saudi Gazette for which JCL and the schools are thankful. However, in 2003 JCL itself sponsored the Under-17 event for the schools. Till date around 36 schools have participated in JCL schools tournament since 2000 when it was first held. JCL now plans to hold an inter-city event for the schools in the future. This year’s events will start most probably after Ramadan for which letters will be shortly circulated to all the schools.
The JCL is the oldest cricket organizing body in Western Province of Saudi Arabia serving cricket enthusiasts for the past 27 years. Although JCL once had 54 teams, presently there are 40 clubs on our membership rolls and an Executive Committee comprising 15 members including a president, executive secretary - finance & administration, general secretary-technical, general secretary-administration, treasurer and other members.
JCL was started by Sheikh Zainal Alireza who was its patron-in-chief and Shahid Amin in 1976. Initially 2 teams played on Friday and 4 teams on Thursday. In the same year JCL conducted its first League in which 6 teams took part and a six-a-side tournament in which 8 teams took part. As years passed by, more and more teams became interested and cricket became more competitive. Amin has been JCL’s president since its inception and has also completed 28 years.
The two patrons of JCL — Sheikh Zainal Alireza (director of Alireza Group of companies) and Khaled Al Maeena are also patrons of Central Cricket Control Board (CCCB) since its inception in 1976 and 1999. Both have played cricket with Amin since 1976. In fact, Alireza was the only team to field all Saudi players. Sheikh Zainal Alireza was the captain and Khaled Al Maeena the vice-captain and the team played in JCL for almost a decade. Both have taken an active interest in the activities of JCL and CCCB and appreciated the efforts made by Amin. They are enthusiastic to develop and promote the game of cricket at the grass root level among the Saudi youth.
Among the leading sponsors of JCL leagues are Kanoo Group of Companies, Fuchs Petroleum Saudi Arabia and Sadafco. Sheikh Khalid Kanoo, who is the Group Managing Director of Kanoo Group, has supported and sponsored JCL for the last 15 years and has also sponsored the Kanoo team since 1989. He is a keen enthusiast of cricket and regularly follows up with JCL activities along with his team’s performances. Ahsan Rashid the president of Fuchs Petroleum Saudi Arabia has also actively supported JCL activities by sponsoring them for the last 15 years. Sheikh Ahmed Marzooki, the managing director of Sadafco Group — a leading dairy product manufacturer in the Kingdom - has sponsored JCL Inter-city matches and ensures that his company dairy and juice products are regularly distributed at all JCL matches. His company is presently fielding three teams in the JCL leagues.
