Ninth edition of DSL kicks-off on Sept.17

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

The ninth season of the Desert Super League (DSL) will get underway form Sept.17, 2021, it was announced in a press conference in Dubai on Sunday.

The league is played under the auspices of Ajman Cricket Council (ACC) and organsied by Wombats Sports Consultancy (WCS).

Since its inception, the league has grown by leaps and bound and has become a permanent feature of the cricketing calendar of the country.

It is a watershed moment for the organisers, who are championing the cause of providing the best sporting ecosystem in the country.

“We have come a long way in the past few years. What started off as a small group of people coming together to play organised game on the weekend, has turned into a multi-tier competition, welcoming hundreds of players from across the different emirates,” said Omar Hayat, director of the WSC.

“This edition is particularly exciting for us as we are welcoming Footprint Real estate on board as our title sponsors. With their gracious support, we have been able to make a difference and expand the league into a three-tier format,” he added.

“Tier 1 will welcome all Division A teams with several very interesting match-ups. Some of the best talent in the country vie for the top honours at the DSL,” apprised Hayat.

“Tier 2 will cater to our semi-professional players. Tier 3 is for our amateur lovers of the game. The league, which begins on Sept.17, will run through to the end of November,” he informed.

The cricket season usually begins in September in the UAE and runs through till April. This season, cricket is all set to grip the nation with the remaining matches of the IPL 2021 and Twenty20 world Cup taking place during the same window as that of the DCL. A total of 39 teams, featuring over 800 players and support staff, will participate in the tournament.

“This is one of the biggest cricketing events of its kind in the country. Spread across the emirates of Ajman, Sharjah, Dubai and Abu Dhabi our members will be joining us from far and wide.

“We intend to follow the UAE example of pursuing excellence in everything and become a case study of successful amateur sports management across the GCC,” said Hayat.

All the big teams of the UAE domestic circuit like Brother Gas, Vision Shipping, Karwan Strikers and InterGlobe Marine to name a few will be seen in action at the tourney.