Singer-MCA Tourney begins today

Richard DWIGHT

CRICKET: One of the much looked forward to event in the annals of the Mercantile Cricket Association (MCA) is its Singer-MCA Premier "League and knock-out" tournament.

This tournament has become popular through the years and gained a measure of prestige, for the reason that the Mercantile firms competing boasts of many a club and national players.

There will therefore be much enthusiasm and exciting moments, when this year's 13th Singer-MCA cricket tournament commences today and tomorrow at the Colts cricket ground and, thereafter would be continued on the following weekends at different venues.

This was revealed to the media at a briefing held at the MCA on Wednesday by the president MCA Adel Hashim. Speaking further Hashim said that Singer has always fostered the cause of sport, and has been generous enough to successively sponsor this tournament for the past 13 years.

Their commitment to renew the agreement for a further period of 3 years was well received. Singer's Marketing Director, Asitha Abeysekera, on handing over the sponsorship package said that there has been a fine relationship between Singer and MCA, an unbroken partnership of good understand in the promotion and cause of cricket for these past 13 years.

He also added that the company was happy to be associated with a tournament that has always been well organized and conducted and, strongly felt that in the future, the final should be played under lights, with live coverage over TV.

According to the media and publicity co-ordinator, Tyrone Perera, there will be 9 teams vying for league championship honours, which are East West Marketing (Pvt) Ltd, Hatton National Bank, Sampath Bank Janashakthi, Seylan Bank, John Keells Group, Unichela Group, E-Wis, Nawaloka Group.

The venues for the matches will be the NCC, Colts, Bloomfield, Moors, Moratuwa Stadium, Air Force grounds and BoI grounds Katunayake.

The matches will and conclude on May 20th. At the completion of the round robin stage, the team ending on top of the table will be declared the winner.

The league winner will receive the Singer Challenge Trophy and a replica, cash award, team replicas and certificates. Special awards will be made to the Best Batsman, Best Bowler and the Man-of-the Series who will be awarded a 29 inch Singer Colour TV.