MCA ‘B’ Division 50-Over League Tourney starts on Sept.26
The Sponsorship cheque handover took place during the media conference on Wednesday at the Mercantile Cricket Association, in the presence of MCA President Roshan Iddamalgoda, MCA General Secretary Nalin Wickremasinghe and Chairman of the Tournament Committee, Sujeewa de Silva. Representing Unilever Sri Lanka were Marketing Director- Personal Care, Nilushi Jayathilake and Senior Brand Manager- Unilever Face Care, Daminda Perera
The MCA ‘B’ Division 50-Over League Tournament conducted by the Mercantile Cricket Association will commence on September 26, at the MCA Grounds, Colombo.
Sponsors for the second year running will be Unilever with their ‘Fair & Lovely Men Challenge Trophy’ awarded to the winners.
“We are very pleased to partner Unilever Sri Lanka for the 2nd consecutive year for the ‘B’ Division tournament. This tournament attracts a lot of potential and is a great platform for the emergence of the next generation of players who will keep this proud game alive,” said MCA President Roshan Iddamalgoda.
This is also the year that Sri Lanka’s No.1 Male Face Care brand ‘Fair & Lovely Men’ inaugurates the ‘FAL Men Cricket Academy’. Together with thepapare.com, the objective of this initiative is to identify potential talent from around the country.
“Cricket in Sri Lanka has changed lives, empowered a Nation and continues to be the most cherished sport. Despite the success and the talent this country boasts for the sport, our young cricketers have found it hard to find their places amongst the best in the international arena. This has been due to the gaps in the transition from domestic to international cricket. Therefore, the FAL Men Cricket Academy will be launched with the right infrastructure to develop a new breed of cricketers who will evolve into great sportsmen and raise the bar for Sri Lankan Cricket,” said Senior Brand Manager- Unilever Face Care, Daminda Perera.
“Also, with our affiliation to the MCA ‘B’ Division League, we will support emerging Sri Lankan cricketers to set new standards in the game and play the game to their true potential,” he further noted.
In addition to identifying potential talent, the Academy will support the development of talent under all 3 categories (A,B&C) and provide educational support for the selected group. To provide a wider opportunity for youngsters to display their talents, 4 major coaching camps, headed by Sri Lanka’s premier players, will be conducted in Colombo, Kandy, Galle and Jaffna.
Further, to provide the best in class cricket learnings to a wider cricketing audience in the country, the Academy will host a Cricket Masterclass which will focus on different areas of cricket (i.e. batting, bowling and fielding masterclass), personality and leadership coaching as well as various other values essential to becoming a well-rounded Cricketer and citizen. The entire platform will be made available to a wider audience through inter linked thepapare.com and FAL Men digital platforms.
The participating teams are John Keells, Unilever Sri Lanka, CDB, HNB, Kanrich Finance, Expo Lanka, Singer Sri Lanka and Commercial Bank, who will play one another in 33 matches during the preliminaries, from September 26-November 3.
The top 4 teams will qualify for the semifinals scheduled for October 20, with the final on November 3 at the MCA Grounds.