Pics: Umesh Marpalli
Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (UM)
Udupi, May 2: Udupi Premier League, the first-ever international T10 hard tennis ball cricket tournament came to a grand close at MGM Grounds here on Sunday May 1 with Pacific Ventures Dubai lifting the trophy.
Pacific Ventures Dubai defeated Eleven Warriors Hyderabad by 8 wickets in the final. Winning the toss, Eleven Warriors elected to bat and scored 45 for the loss of 6 wickets. In reply, Pacific Ventures finished the game in four overs, scoring 48 for the loss of 2 wickets.
Jignesh of Pacific Ventures Dubai was declared Man of the Match, while the Man of the Series award went to Bunty of Eleven Warriors Hyderabad. Saroj of Kolkata Angel was adjudged the Best Bowler while the Best Batsman award went to Krishna of Pacific Ventures.
MLA of Mangaluru North Mohiuddin handed over the trophy to the winners and distributed the other prizes. Addressing the gathering, he said, "Such sports events are essential if peace and harmony have to exist in society. This tournament has been great success. It has brought greater glory to Udupi.
"There is no turf pitch for hard ball cricket in either Mangaluru or Udupi. We plan to build a turf cricket ground in the both the cities through KSCA. As of now, only NIT-K in Suratkal has such facility. If youngsters from the region practice with hard ball, the day is not far when they will reach the IPL level," he added.
Businessman Manohar Shetty said, "People in Udupi have been giving much importance to sports, which is a good sign. It is not difficult to have sports facilities, as there are plenty of donors. The government should also come forward to help in this regard, and the district administration should also take necessary steps. Ajjarkad stadium has world class facilities for other sports. For cricket too, such a stadium should be built."
Vice-chairman of UPL T10 2016 Thonse Jayakrishna Shetty appreciated the team work put in by organizers led by Sadhiq Kaup. "Preparations went on for four months to host this international-level tournament. I hope in future they organize such tournaments in Mumbai and Delhi too. People of Udupi have given confidence to do so, and in turn, the organizers have inspired the people with such a meticulously planned tournament," he said.
The evening came to an end with an entertaining cultural programme. A replica of a scene from the movie 'Avatar' was a special attraction.
Crowds gathered in large numbers and cheered for their teams.
The winning team took home a cheque of Rs 20 lac and a trophy, while the runner-up team received Rs 10 lac and a trophy. The teams placed third and fourth got Rs 2 lac each.
The Man of the Series was awarded a brand new car, while the Best Batsman and the Best Bowler each won a bike. Man of the Match in every game won a trophy and cash prize.