The ninth Dulsco Ramadan Floodlight Open Cricket Tournament will start today at Zabeel Cricket Ground in Dubai.
The first match in the flagship Ramadan cricket event in Dubai will be played between Active IT Distribution and Standard Chartered Bank at 7.45pm.
A total of 24 teams will be taking part in the tournament and teams will be allowed to field two overseas players.
The tournament is being played under the auspices of the Dubai Cricket Council and in association with Dubai Municipality. The matches in the tournament will be played under floodlights on a league and then knock-out basis of 20 overs each. Coloured clothing, as well as refreshments, will be provided to all the participating teams.
Johnson Alexander, a director at Dulsco, said: "This being one of the prestigious cricket tournaments in the UAE, teams confirmed their participation even before the announcement of the tournament."
* Agencies
The 12
England
Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur
Italy
AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus
Spain
Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Real Madrid
Prop idols
Girls full-contact rugby may be in its infancy in the Middle East, but there are already a number of role models for players to look up to.
Sophie Shams (Dubai Exiles mini, England sevens international)
An Emirati student who is blazing a trail in rugby. She first learnt the game at Dubai Exiles and captained her JESS Primary school team. After going to study geophysics at university in the UK, she scored a sensational try in a cup final at Twickenham. She has played for England sevens, and is now contracted to top Premiership club Saracens.
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Seren Gough-Walters (Sharjah Wanderers mini, Wales rugby league international)
Few players anywhere will have taken a more circuitous route to playing rugby on Sky Sports. Gough-Walters was born in Al Wasl Hospital in Dubai, raised in Sharjah, did not take up rugby seriously till she was 15, has a master’s in global governance and ethics, and once worked as an immigration officer at the British Embassy in Abu Dhabi. In the summer of 2021 she played for Wales against England in rugby league, in a match that was broadcast live on TV.
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Erin King (Dubai Hurricanes mini, Ireland sevens international)
Aged five, Australia-born King went to Dubai Hurricanes training at The Sevens with her brothers. She immediately struck up a deep affection for rugby. She returned to the city at the end of last year to play at the Dubai Rugby Sevens in the colours of Ireland in the Women’s World Series tournament on Pitch 1.
