Rajesh Shetty is president of Bunts Bahrain

Riyadh: Cricket Lovers are all geared up for the newly launched franchise based tournament - Kingdom Premier League (KPL) 2020 under the banner of Mangaluru Cricket Association (MCA) Riyadh.

SAQCO –SAAD AL QAHTANI CONTRACTING is the Mega Sponsor for the event and PARAMOUNT is the CO Sponsor.

The 6-team tournament is being played at MCA Grounds on Exit 18 in Riyadh beginning from 14 Feb and shall end on 20 March.

The Opening ceremony took place on AL-Mas Restaurant in Riyadh. The trophy launching as well as Jersey launching took place at the same event. Guests from various companies including SAQCO were present.

All teams will play at least one league Match against every other team. Top 4 teams in the table will qualify to play for the Qualifier 1 and Eliminator. The Winner of Qualifier 1 will be heading towards the final and the 2nd finalist will be the winner Qualifier 2 (Played between loser of Qualifier 1 and Winner of Eliminator). The Finals will be played on 20th March.

Below 6 Team names with their franchise owners and respective icon players.

BANCAA WARRIORS – RANJITH (TEAM WARRIORS RIYADH) – RAJESH AND SHAFI

YAQOOB FIGHTERS – SHAHID & YAQOOB (YAQOOB CC) – SAMEER KARNAD AND MOHSIN

GROUND STAR PHOENIX – RIZWAN & SIDDIK – AYAZ & SALEEM SHIRUR

PARAMOUNT HEROES – NASIR GM – SARFARAZ AK & MUSTAFA HASAN

AL-AMAL AFRAH PANTHERS – SHAHIM & AHNAF – DAWOOD KODI & ANIS

NAJD CHALLENGERS – AFROZ NAKWA – SHADAB KARNAD & SULTHAN

Each Team gets to pick 2 icon players of their choice on a mutual understanding whereas the remaining 13 players for each squad to be picked randomly based on their rankings and ratings in bidding style from 3 categories – A, B & C. The Franchise Ownership amount stands at Sr 2,000 for Each Team. The Winner of the Tournament gets a Cash Reward of Sr 5,000. The Runner Up Gets a Cash Reward of 3,000. Many Attractive Individual prizes will be handed over at the end of the event such as below

Winners squad 16 players - Gifts

Highest Run Getter – Orange Cap – Special Gift

Highest Wicket Taker – Purple Cap – Special Gift

Player of the Series – Special Gift

Hat-trick Wicket taker – Special Gift

KPL Kamal Catch – Special Gift

Best Wicket Keeper – Special Gift

Best over in KPL – Special Gift

Fastest 50 in KPL – Special Gift

Fair Play Award – Special Gift

Performer of the Week (Every Week) – Special Gift

Century – Special Gift

Maiden Over – Special Gift

Dubai: A non-profitable social organization, KSCC is delivering a great service to the community during this pandemic situation.

Karnataka Sports and Cultural Club is a civil organization registered under Community Development Authority (CDA) involved in implementing various UAE government initiatives, blood donation drives, health campaigns, sport events, charity works, awareness programs and much more.

KSCC is currently actively liaising with Dubai government authorities in discharging the needs and requirements of the people in these challenging covid-19 pandemic times. It is also involved the activities such as logistics, coordinating stores, mobilizing isolation centers, equipping quarantine facilities and volunteering services.

During these testing times, KSCC is also facilitating the Guidance to the general public, follow-up up to 122 covid positive cases, counselling the affected, assisting the references and providing the ever-necessary emotional support by setting up a team of 24 reserved persons for call center helplines.

As per the request from DHA (Dubai Health Authority) KSCC has successfully organized the blood donation drive and donated upto 141 units of blood with the help of KSCC members & supporters.

Apart from above, KSCC is also engaged in serving needy by distributing the food provisional kit (Yestahloon) from the very 1st day of lockdown till day by their special task force team under guidelines of CDA, and also taking into consideration the month of Ramadan, team is successfully distributing Iftar food & provision kit with the help of donors.

In the 1st Phase, KSCC covered 2421 beneficiaries by providing 440 provisional food kits, 435 food pack and 529 Iftar kits.

As per the CDA guidelines, club is also engaged in following up the health condition of senior citizens living in UAE.

KSCC special team is also engaged in clearing documentation and formalities related to dead body repatriation until its final procedures and handing over to relatives with help of UAE governments authorities. Total 5 dead bodies are repatriated in their 1st phase of service.

KSCC is also having a center controlled special task team to assist all above activities during the covid-19 pandemic to continue the services to general public.

KSCC thanks all Government authorities, Members in different task team, supporters and Sponsors company MAERSK, MALABAR GOLD & DIAMOND and TAMIL ENTREPRENEUR for their support and also request extend their support to consolidate the above demanding service and deliver our best possible assistance not only because it is the month of Ramadan, but also our responsibility to reach out to the poor and needy, during this fight against Covid-19.

Dubai: In response to UAE health authorities encourage blood donation campaign Anivasai Kannadigara Okkuta - U.A.E, conducted blood donation camps on April 22 at Abu Dhabi Blood Bank Khaldiya and on 23/04/2020 at Blood Transfusion and Research Centre, Sharjah.

The Abu Dhabi camp was inaugurated by Head of Department of Abu Dhabi Blood Bank, On this occasion she gave brief inputs of the benefits and features of blood donation, urged the participants to spread greater awareness about the importance of blood donation and congratulated the AKO members for their selfless social service and wished all the best for their future endeavours.

Abdul Rasheed, President of AKO presided over the function and Anivasai Kannadigara Okkuta Vice President Mr. Mohammad Nasir appreciated the effort for organizing this camp and gathering youths to be a part of this noble cause as life is precious on this earth. "Each drop of blood counts much, so kindly take it as personal compassion to help unknown who requires blood with no relatives to help him/her.

In Abu Dhabi 41 and in Sharjah 49 donors participated in this event and donated their blood. It was nice to see cheerful smiling donors doing a great community work.
Blood bank staff and AKO Organizing team enthusiastically arranged the campaign which was witnessed by many members and leaders of various community organization of Karnataka.

Anivasai Kannadigara Okkuta President briefed the participates about the ongoing social work of AKO in this current COVID-19 pandemic grim situation AKO is working on following fields: AKO Members have stepped up to support needy community during the Covid-19 pandemic have gone out of their way to comfort those struggling to deal with the challenging situation.

While thousands of people continue to #StayHome, many are in quarantine, there are those on visit visa and stuck here, others have lost jobs or face salary cuts. AKO in coordination with UAE Embassy and other social organization have been able to ensure basic necessities are fulfilled with food provisions and medical assistance to needy.

Providing counselling to bachelors and families those are on quarantine and isolation.

The organizers thanked everybody especially, UAE Health Authority, Abu Dhabi Blood Bank Khaldiya and Blood Transfusion and Research Centre, Sharjah, Management and staff as well as donors for their time and support for the good cause.