Sharjah, Sep 1 : The historic launch of the GloFans High School Cup accompanied by a trophy launch and award ceremony took place in Sharjah on Sunday. The main event will take place in Sharjah and Ajman with training facilities in Dubai.

20 top school teams from across the globe will be participating in the six-day tournament, with two matches to be played every day and two day-night matches will be played under floodlights.

'It is important to nurture young talent and the school cricket players a pivotal role of school in shaping future stars,' said Dav Whatmore, legendary coach and former English cricketer. The official t-shirt launch was conducted by Shahzad Altaf, who played for the UAE in the 1996 World Cup and is now founder of the Young Talents Cricket Academy (YTCA).

"This event is not just about launching a tournament; it's about building a legacy. We are thrilled to have such incredible support from cricket legends and look forward to a successful tournament that will inspire young cricketers globally," added Altaf, Director of the Global High School Cricket Cup.

Saeed Ajmal, the former Pakistan off-spinner, well-known for mastering the doosra, said, 'This tournament will be a great platform to identify young talent. It will help the budding cricketers to understand the commitment and consistency required to play the sport at the highest level. It will certainly enable the young athletes to bring laurels for their country.'

Ajmal and Whatmore were in a panel discussion at the event which explored the significance of school cricket and its lasting impact on their careers, as well as talked about the upcoming ten-team Women's T20 World Cup 2024, set to be held in the UAE from October 3-20.

'At GloFans, our mission has always been to inspire and engage the next generation of sports enthusiasts. The Global High School Cricket Cup is a natural extension of this vision, providing young cricketers with a platform to showcase their talent on a global stage.'

'This is our second association in the last 4 months in UAE for promotion of cricket. We look forward to watching these young athletes grow into the cricketing legends of tomorrow," said Sunil Yash Kalra, Sportscaster and founder of Glofans.

/IANS