ABU DHABI 14 November 2018: The Tolerance Cricket Cup is set for an exciting conclusion during this week’s celebrations of the National Festival of Tolerance, which is taking place from November 9 – 16.
The Festival has been setup to highlight the principles and values of the founding father, the late Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan and his approach as a human example in tolerance and coexistence. The festival’s aim is to explore the values that underpin the UAE’s peaceful prosperity and to promote the ministry’s mission towards spreading tolerance.
The Tolerance Cricket Cup initiative was formally launched by Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance in collaboration with Abu Dhabi Cricket (ADC), during the International Labour Day held on the 4 May, 2018 at the Yas Island Operatives Village.
The Tolerance Cricket Cup was set up for workers across the UAE to take part in and to capture the essence of how not just cricket but sport generally can unite and transcend all boundaries between different nationalities and cultures.
The initiative has been an incredible success for teams and workers alike. From running trials for potential players to get involved with and joining a team, to building cricket nets at the camps for workers to practise in, the Tolerance Cricket Cup has fostered a culture of cooperation and unity.
Matthew Boucher, Acting Chief Executive Officer said: “We are very proud of the fact that so many budding cricketers from all corners of the country have chosen to get involved with the Tolerance Cricket Cup. This week it’s been great to see the collective pride of those players involved in the latter stages of the tournament so prominently on display. Each and every one of them has played a part in ensuring the UAE has become a leading example of cooperation, tolerance and peaceful coexistence all over the world.”
The Tolerance Cricket Cup has seen 16 teams from each of the seven emirates compete over seven weekends of intense competition. Eight teams have represented Abu Dhabi, three from Dubai and one from the remainder of the emirates. 16 operative villages were selected to participate in the event, and each participating team provided a squad of 15 players to compete.
Last weekend saw the semi-finals of the Tolerance Cup; with some gripping matches taking place and Saadiyat Falcons and Team Labotel each securing their place in Friday’s final on the International Day of Tolerance, November 16th, at Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium, where the winning team will be awarded the Tolerance Cricket Cup.
The Tolerance Cup has seen some wonderful stories from two individual centuries being made by players from Darwish Falcons and Saadiyat Falcons respectively, to many teams now hosting daily practise sessions. Another successful participation story saw NBB Cricket Club build themselves a set of batting nets in order to practise more frequently and their efforts paid off, as they reached the Quarter Finals, unfortunately being knocked out last weekend. Building on this success, NBB Cricket Club is now considering joining the Domestic League having participated so successfully in the Tolerance Cup.