Sports
DCA inks Rs 11m title sponsorship deal
Dhangadhi Cricket Academy (DCA) on Friday inked a bumper Rs 11 million title sponsorship deal with Ruslan Cricket of Vijay Distillery for the third edition of Dhangadhi Premier League (DPL) Twenty20 cricket tournament.Dhangadhi Cricket Academy (DCA) on Friday inked a bumper Rs 11 million title sponsorship deal with Ruslan Cricket of Vijay Distillery for the third edition of Dhangadhi Premier League (DPL) Twenty20 cricket tournament.
DPL is the auction-based tournament played between six franchise teams. Biratnagar Kings, CYC Attariya, Team Chauraha Dhangadhi, Rupandehi Challengers, Mahendranagar United and Kathmandu Goldens fought for the top prize of Rs 2.5 million last year. Team Chauraha Dhangadhi had defended the DPL title last year beating Kathmandu Goldens by 21 runs in the final at the SSP grounds.
DCA President Subash Bahadur Shahi and Chief Finance Office of Vijay Distillery Satish Karna signed the memorandum of understanding of the sponsorship deal for the tournament to held at the Fapla grounds next year on February 2-16. The previous two editions were held at the SSP grounds. “We have been contributing to the society under the CSR (corporate social responsibility) initiative but his is the largest amount we are contributing in sports. We made a significant increase to the sponsorship amount this year and will continue to do so in the future as well,” said Karna.
Ruslan Cricket had provided Rs 7 million in cash and kind last year. The estimated costs of the tournament this year is Rs 50 million, informed Shahi. Shahi said that they are yet to decide on the prize money for this season. “We will finalise it in due course. But more than the prize amount, we are working to make the event grandeur in terms of management and quality,” said Shahi.
Shahi expressed deep gratitude to all well-wishes for bringing the event this far. “When we started the first tournament—the SPA Cup in 2015—we had to labour to even land Rs 10,000 from sponsors. Since then we have come a long way. Its much easier now considering what we went through in the early years,” recalled Shahi adding that they were on course to materialise their dream of constructing the international standard cricket stadium in Fapla, the current venue of the tournament.
Each team will have at least 15 players in their squad with two mandatory foreign recruits along with one local cricket selected through talent hunt programme. The players’ auction, naming of strategic players and price ceiling of cricketers among other details will be made in due course, informed the organisers.
Top four teams after the round robin league will advance to the playoffs. Top two teams will play the first qualifier for a place in the final, while the losers will await the winners of the match between third and fourth-placed team to play in the second qualifier. The winners of the second qualifier will play against the winners of the first qualifiers for the title.
Shahi also informed that they have already forwarded the necessary documents to the International Cricket Council (ICC) for approval. In the absence of cricket governing body in Nepal, ICC has made it mandatory for private organisations to seek approval before hosting such tournaments. Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) has been under ICC suspension since April, 2016 for ‘’government interference and unfair election.”