Officials and Qatar deaf cricket team players pose for a photograph following a press conference held in Doha.
Doha: The Deaf Cricket Sports Centre Qatar in conjunction with the Qatar Cricket Association (QCA) and Deaf International Cricket Council (DICC) will play host to the DICC Champions Trophy at the Asian Town stadium in March, 2022.
This would be the first ever international deaf cricket tournament for the deaf and differently abled community in Qatar. The DICC Champions Trophy will be the first event for deaf cricket since the COVID-19 pandemic and will take place at Asian Town International Cricket Stadium from March 14-26, 2022.
The tournament is also the first ever international cricket event for the deaf and differently-abled community in Qatar.
DICC Vice-Chairman Ishtiaq Ahmed (left) and DICC CEO, Zahir Uddin Babar unveil the Deaf ICC Champions Trophy to the media in Pakistan and virtually in Qatar during a press conference at Hyatt Regency in Doha last week.
DCSCQ, the governing body of deaf cricket in Qatar, will host six countries during the tournament and the teams will be announced on January 30, 2022. The tournament would be the first event for the differently-abled hosted in Asian Town Stadium.
During a press conference held in Doha last week, DICC Chairman Stefan Pichowski who joined online from the UK, praised DICC CEO Zahir Uddin Babar and the President of DCSCQ Christopher Raja for their efforts to promote deaf cricket.
The trophy was unveiled by the Babar in front of the media in Pakistan.
The DCSCQ Chairman Ahmad Mohammad Qasim Thani Al Subaey said the tournament is the beginning of many more such events for the differently-abled community in Qatar.
DICC is the international sporting federation for Deaf Cricket working closely with the International Cricket Council to provide global platform for deaf cricketers all over the world. Currently there are 15 full and associate members all over the world.
Indian Sports Centre president Mohan Thomas said, "We are always keen to support a great endeavour like this. We are looking forward to a long association with DICC."
DISCQ President Raja, who is also the founder of Bravo Cricket Academy Qatar, said: “Our aim is to make cricket available for everyone. The academy is coaching cricket for mainstream kids and seniors, kids with autism and deaf. Soon they would be having blind and wheel chair cricket classes.”
He also added: “The differently-abled people are as good as we are and we need to accept them as who they are and be open with them and give them the opportunity to choose the sport that they would love to pick up. It’s just not cricket - any sport for that matter. Sports would work like a therapy and will give them the confidence to make something out of their life and we all have the social responsibility towards them.”
Qatar Cricket Association's Operations Manager Manzoor Ahmed welcomed the event to Qatar saying, "It a matter of pride for us to host this valuable tournament and we hope to make it a big success aiding the players and all associated with the event all assistance."
Qatar paralympian Abdulrahman Abdulqadir encouraged members of Qatar deaf cricket team who were present and wished them good luck.
IBN Ajayan Manager (Sports & Recreation) Riyaz Cheerooth, DICC Vice Chairman Ishtiaq Ahmed (online), also attended the press conference.
