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Star Insurance boosts Cricket Kenya U-19 Men's kitty

 Star Insurance has boosted Cricket Kenya with a Kshs. 4.2M sponsorship to facilitate the 19 Men’s team tour to Uganda over the Easter Holidays.

The team will take part in a Tri - series featuring Rwanda U-19 Men as well as the hosts at Jinja SS Cricket Oval, Uganda from 27th March - 1st April 2024. 

Speaking during the Cheque presentation during a Media session at Ruaraka Sports Club earlier today, the Star Insurance team expressed their elation at partnering with the Cricket Kenya Development team for a worthy cause. 

“We are happy to sponsor the Kenya U19 Men's team that will be going to Uganda and as they prepare for the event in Jinja, we would like to wish them all the best. We are determined and pray that they will be victorious and come back having carried the flag of Kenya high,” said Star Insurance Principal Officer Mr. Jonah Tomno. He was accompanied by Mr. Shashi Roy, the Marketing Manager who emphasized on the importance of sports in promoting the nation and supporting lives.

The team was outspoken on their belief in the Youth's potential and their excitement to be a part of taking Cricket in Kenya through the next steps.

Cricket Kenya Development Director Mr. Thomas Odoyo welcomed Star Insurance's efforts to support grassroots Cricket. “We are extremely grateful for this partnership as it gives the Association an opportunity to build up from where we left from in the previous U19 World Cup qualifier. It is also an opportunity to build our youth system and nurture players into the highest level of the sport.”

Kenya U-19 Men took part in the last ICC Men's U-19 Africa Division I Qualifier that took place in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania in July 2023. Despite their valiant efforts to be reintroduced onto the Global stage, they came up second behind Namibia, who represented the Continent in the just concluded event in South Africa.

Receiving the dummy cheque on behalf of the Association, Cricket Kenya C.E.O, Mr. Ronald Bukusi emphasized that the funds will be used to elevate the Sport and motivate the youngsters through exposure to competitive cricket while encouraging those already in the Senior ranks to perform better.  Mr. Bukusi also announced that the ongoing three - day trials for Nairobi region will conclude on 16th February at the Nairobi Gymkhana with the programme rolling out to Nakuru and Mombasa from 19th February.

While thanking Star Insurance for supporting the development of Cricket in the country, the C.E.O also pointed out that stability was taking shape in the governance structure of the Association and that this sponsorship would go a long way in rooting for the same.

 

 

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U19 Men's team ramp up preparations for Africa Qualifier

The Cricket Kenya Men's U-19 team has intensified training ahead of the ICC Men's U19 Cricket World Cup Africa Qualifier to be held next month in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The team has been slashed down to 18 players from the 38 who had been shortlisted earlier on. 

Head Coach Josephat Irungu is hoping that the team can acclimatize before the tournament bowls off. "The Government has promised us support to travel to India and acclimatize ahead of the tournament. The high intensity training will help the boys to condition and get into a match winning mentality, since the rain curtailed our earlier training efforts" he adds.

The 18 - Man squad continues to train at Sikh Union Sports Club until the squad is further cut down to the 14 who will travel to Tanzania and two non travelling reserve players in a couple of weeks.

The tournament will run from 21st - 30th July 2023 and will feature Namibia, Uganda, Nigeria and Sierra Leone alongside the hosts.

SHORTLISTED U – 19 SQUAD

  1. Brian Likavu (WK) – Kenya Kongonis Cricket Club – WK/ Bat
  2. Darsh Panchani – Shree Cutchi Leva Patel Samaj – Bat
  3. Raj Manji – Sikh Union Sports Club - Bat
  4. Yash Gohil (WK) – Nairobi Gymkhana Sports Club – WK/ Bat
  5. Vishil Patel – Ruaraka Sports Club – Leg spin/ Bat
  6. Vaibhav Naresh – Stray Lions Cricket Club – Medium Pace/ Bat
  7. Dedan Omondi – Stray Lions Cricket Club – Medium Pace
  8. Stian Smith – Nairobi Gymkhana Sports Club - Bat
  9. Yuvraj Bhatyani - Nairobi Gymkhana Sports Club – Bat/ Medium Pace
  10. Krish Haria – Swamibapa Sports Club – Bat/ Spin
  11. Ken Mwangi – Obuya Cricket Academy – Medium Pace
  12. Allan Kibabi – Kenya Kongonis Cricket Club – Medium Pace/ Bat
  13. Neel Doshi - Nairobi Gymkhana Sports Club – Medium Pace/ Bat
  14. Saavir Karani – Obuya Cricket Academy – Medium Pace
  15. Arnav Patel - Nairobi Gymkhana Sports Club – Off spin
  16. Hitendra Sanghani – Shree Cutchi Leva Patel Samaj – Left arm spin/ Bat
  17. Vatsal Shah – Mombasa Sports Club – Left arm China
  18. Hassan Lijodi – Pirates Cricket Club – Bat /Spin
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Stiff competition beckons ahead of U-19 Qualifier camp

Cricket Kenya has completed the Men’s U-19 trials with 38 players selected to proceed to camp ahead of the U – 19 Men’s World Cup Africa Division 1 Qualifier in Tanzania from 23rd – 29th July 2023. The national training camp will begin on 9th May 2023 at Sikh Union Sports Club and proceed until the final squad is named.

Kenya qualified for the tournament by virtue of winning the Africa Division 2 Qualifier, unbeaten, in Nigeria in September/ October 2022.

The tournament will feature six teams, Nigeria and Sierra Leone joining Kenya from last year’s Qualifier while Uganda, Namibia and the hosts automatically slot in after topping the ICC Africa Division 1 Qualifier in Rwanda in September/ October 2021.  Uganda was the sole African representative, progressing to the 2022 U – 19 Men’s World Cup in West Indies. 

Mombasa and Nakuru Counties picked three boys – a – piece out of a total of 19 and 20 participants, respectively while Nairobi will be represented by 32 players out of the 51 who showed up from various Clubs to complete the trials over the Labour Day weekend.

The shortlisted squad will now proceed to train under the tutelage of U-19 head coach Josephat Irungu who continues being in charge of the team after his success in Lagos with Cricket Kenya Development Director Thomas Odoyo and the Chairperson of the selection committee, Alfred Njuguna overseeing the process.

Cricket Kenya’s Development Director Thomas Odoyo is optimistic about the crop of players that have come together from the trials and believes that there will be healthy competition in camp.

“All the players who went to Nigeria last year have been retained in the current squad of 38, meaning that there will be more competition and pressure for them to retain their positions come Dar es Salaam. We are planning on reducing the squad by the end of the month to 20 players and eventually end up with a final squad of 16.”

There will be a uniform programme for all the players with those in Nakuru being coached by ex - Kenya international Peter Ongondo while the Mombasa team will have former Cricket Kenya captain Maurice Odumbe.

“Since only three players made the shortlist in each of the two Counties, they will team up with the U-15 sides in readiness for the next Qualifier before they join up the final squad, if selected,” added Odoyo.

On his part, U – 19 Head Coach Josephat Irungu is only too happy to bowl off the training camp with the pool of players assembled with a focus on batting depth as well as getting the players to understand their opponents.

“The team is technically apt since we have the advantage of seasoned players plying the Nairobi Provincial Cricket Association (NPCA) Super League such as Vishil, Arnav, Vaibhav, Darsh and Yash with the rest from Nairobi playing in Division I and II. This also makes it easier to improve on their fitness as much as they have to work extra hard given the timelines.”

He reiterated that everyone had an opportunity to make it into the team and hopes that they can acclimatize in Mombasa two weeks prior to the tournament to mimic the weather and playing conditions.

SHORTLISTED SQUAD FOR CAMP

  1. Brian Likavu (WK) – Kenya Kongonis Cricket Club
  2. Darsh Panchani – Shree Cutchi Leva Patel Samaj
  3. Raj Manji – Sikh Union Sports Club
  4. Yash Gohil (WK) – Nairobi Gymkhana Sports Club
  5. Vishil Patel – Ruaraka Sports Club
  6. Vaibhav Naresh – Stray Lions Cricket Club
  7. Dedan Omondi – Stray Lions Cricket Club
  8. Stian Smith – Nairobi Gymkhana Sports Club
  9. Yuvraj Bhatyani - Nairobi Gymkhana Sports Club
  10. Duncan Muchenditsi – Kenya Kongonis Cricket Club
  11. Rayan Kassam - Nairobi Gymkhana Sports Club
  12. Manveer Singh – Sikh Union Sports Club
  13. Krish Haria – Swamibapa Sports Club
  14. Peter Ngure – Obuya Cricket Academy
  15. Ken Mwangi – Obuya Cricket Academy
  16. Allan Kibabi – Kenya Kongonis Cricket Club
  17. Jiyan Patel – Nairobi Gymkhana Sports Club
  18. Kelvin Mutembei – Stray Wolves Cricket Club
  19. Ankit Ashani – Shree Cutchi Leva Patel Samaj
  20. Rohit Varsani – Shree Cutchi Leva Patel Samaj
  21. Neel Doshi - Nairobi Gymkhana Sports Club
  22. Saavir Karani – Obuya Cricket Academy
  23. Darshil Suthar – Goan Institute
  24. Kelvin Nganga – Kenya Kongonis Cricket Club
  25. Ashdeep Kundi – Sikh Union Sports Club
  26. Simon Mburu – Kenya Kongonis Cricket Club
  27. Arnav Patel - Nairobi Gymkhana Sports Club
  28. Akshith Sekar - Nairobi Gymkhana Sports Club
  29. Yug Kerai – Shree Cutchi Leva Patel Samaj
  30. Garv Galaiya – Stray Leopards Cricket Club
  31. Aditya Vekaria – Shree Cutchi Leva Patel Samaj
  32. Sajeeth Chidmbaram – Stray Lions Cricket Club
  33. Hitendra Sanghani – Shree Cutchi Leva Patel Samaj
  34. Vatsal Shah – Mombasa Sports Club
  35. Manav Devani – Mombasa Sports Club
  36. Hassan Lijodi – Pirates Cricket Club
  37. Yusuf Khamala - Pirates Cricket Club
  38. Joseph Macharia - Pirates Cricket Club

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