On paper this match was no different to any of the 74 IPL matches in season five. In Kolkata, however, it was a lot more than that. It marked the return of the Prince of Kolkata, Sourav Ganguly, to the Eden Gardens after he was snubbed by the local franchise, Kolkata Knight Riders, at the auctions the previous year.
Passions were high and Wasim Akram, the bowling coach of KKR, said the atmosphere was akin to a match between India and Pakistan. Few players in cricket divided opinions like Ganguly. Fewer still could rouse passions among their fans, especially in Kolkata. In 2005, Ganguly was dropped from the India team and when they showed up in Kolkata for a one-day international against South Africa, the home team were booed throughout the game.
Something similar was expected as Ganguly made his return to the Eden Gardens as the captain of Pune Warriors. Four days earlier, 10,000 tickets were released and 25,000 prospective buyers showed up. Those fans who missed out went on a rampage. On match day, 70,000 fans filled the stands and cheered every dot ball as KKR batted first. Even Ganguly, waving his arm to direct his field, was greeted with a deafening roar.
When Pune batted, it was an impatient crowd who waited for their hero to appear. After the fall of the fifth wicket Ganguly finally entered the arena to a riotous greeting. When he was dismissed for a 35-ball 36 the fans were stunned into silence, even those supporting KKR dared not celebrate lest they offend the huge majority.
Then, as Ganguly approached the dugout, the crowd rose to their feet and applauded as one.
arizvi@thenational.ae
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COMPANY PROFILE
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
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Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
What you as a drone operator need to know
A permit and licence is required to fly a drone legally in Dubai.
Sanad Academy is the United Arab Emirate’s first RPA (Remotely Piloted Aircraft) training and certification specialists endorsed by the Dubai Civil Aviation authority.
It is responsible to train, test and certify drone operators and drones in UAE with DCAA Endorsement.
“We are teaching people how to fly in accordance with the laws of the UAE,” said Ahmad Al Hamadi, a trainer at Sanad.
“We can show how the aircraft work and how they are operated. They are relatively easy to use, but they need responsible pilots.
“Pilots have to be mature. They are given a map of where they can and can’t fly in the UAE and we make these points clear in the lectures we give.
“You cannot fly a drone without registration under any circumstances.”
Larger drones are harder to fly, and have a different response to location control. There are no brakes in the air, so the larger drones have more power.
The Sanad Academy has a designated area to fly off the Al Ain Road near Skydive Dubai to show pilots how to fly responsibly.
“As UAS technology becomes mainstream, it is important to build wider awareness on how to integrate it into commerce and our personal lives,” said Major General Abdulla Khalifa Al Marri, Commander-in-Chief, Dubai Police.
“Operators must undergo proper training and certification to ensure safety and compliance.
“Dubai’s airspace will undoubtedly experience increased traffic as UAS innovations become commonplace, the Forum allows commercial users to learn of best practice applications to implement UAS safely and legally, while benefitting a whole range of industries.”
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
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