Kuwait Cricket has welcomed the first intake into its new Academy at the Entertainment City ground. 160 children from the leading international cricket-playing schools in Kuwait turned up on the first day of tutoring at the new facilities in Doha, on the outskirts of Kuwait City.

Coaching is being conducted on Saturdays for now and Kuwait Cricket Secretary General Haider Farman affirms that "gradually the number of days will be increased and more training venues will be added."

On a bright and cold Kuwait winter’s day, the full cast of Kuwait Cricket’s ACC-trained active coaching retinue was on hand to guide the youngsters through their paces on the Academy’s first day of operation, led by Kuwait Cricket’s Director for Coaching Samir Desai, a Level III coach. He was supported by a group of Level IIs, including stalwarts such as Emad Al Jassem, Arjuna Amaratunga, Murali Kutticode, Tahir Khan, Tariq Rasool, Ayoub Shaikh, Arshad Shams and Kaleem ul Hasan. Lady Level I coaches Sandra Almeida, Jasleen Kaur and Nida Mirza were also in attendance as was Kuwait Cricket Director of Umpires Riaz Chaudhry and one of Kuwait’s youngest coaches Aamir Kidwai Kaleem Ul Hasan. Also on hand was a volunteer coach from the Kuwait English School. Steve Boyland.

Sameer Desai (foreground) takes U-19 training, Tahir Khan (in red) is in the background

Administrators there were too, all the great and the good of Kuwait Cricket along with Mr. Farman, Director General Asad Baig, Chairman of Kuwait Cricket Council Jeff De Lange and Board Member Major General Saeed Mubarak and. “I am very surprised and glad that so many boys should be coming to our Academy, many parents are supporting their children in cricket which is good and it is our aim to take Kuwait Cricket to even better performance by training these boys – and soon girls – in the Academy”, said Mr. Baig.

Related:
Kuwait Cricket Profile

Filed Jan 29th, 2010