The ninth edition of the Women’s T20 World Cup is set to commence on October 3 in the UAE with an exciting clash between hosts Bangladesh and Scotland. On September 25, The International Cricket Council (ICC) unveiled the trophy that will be presented to the winners of the marquee competition.
The glittery event was hosted at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium. Khalid Jasim Saif Al Midfa, Chairman of the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority, was the chief guest at the trophy-unveiling ceremony.
He was joined by Khalaf Bukhatir, CEO of Sharjah Cricket; Waleed Bukhatir, Vice Chairman of Sharjah Cricket; Mazhar Khan, General Manager of Sharjah Cricket Stadium; Eisa Hilal Al Hazami, Chairman of Sharjah Sports Council; and Waleed Bukhatir, Member of Emirates Cricket Board and Vice Chairman Sharjah Cricket.
Midfa feels the upcoming Women’s World Cup will help in boosting the tourism business in the Emirates. The multi-nation tournament will have a total of 23 matches which will be held across two venues– Sharjah Cricket Stadium and Dubai International Stadium.
Sharjah has so far played host to 299 international games which is a world record. The iconic stadium made its entry into the Guinness Book of World Records over a decade ago for hosting more ODIs than any other venue. These achievements have also helped the Arabian city earn global recognition.
“This is something we always promote. You can imagine how people know the city because of sports like cricket. Look at the strength of this sport. Many people know the city because of this sport. See how effective it is,” Midfa said, as quoted by Gulf Today.
He further hailed the top hierarchy of Sharjah Cricket for their immense contribution. “We are always promoting it. We are always partners with Khalaf and Waleed Bukhatir and the sports council. We are always partners to promote and we have a common goal,” Midfa added.
Bangladesh is the official host of the 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup. Due to the country’s ongoing political tension, the ICC later decided to shift the tournament to the UAE. Midfa has extended his gratitude to the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) for agreeing with the cricket governing body.
“I wish to thank our leaders for their unwavering support, ECB and BCB for giving us this opportunity to host the ICC T20 Women’s World Cup. We have hosted big tournaments in the past as well and we are confident that we and deliver again,” he explained.
The ICC has already released the official theme song of the Women’s T20 World Cup. The soundtrack, titled “Whatever It Takes”, has been performed by the all-girl pop group, W.i.S.H. Renowned music director Mikey McCleary and composer Parth Parekh were also part of the project.
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