DUBAI // A team of Kuwaiti cricketers have expressed their excitement at the prospect of playing in the first cricket tournament solely for GCC nationals, which is scheduled to be staged in the UAE next month.
The Gulf Cup, which is the brainchild of the UAE batsman Alawi Shukri, is planned to coincide with Eid al Adha, starting on November 27, and to be played in Al Ain.
The idea was spawned from the desire of each of the competing nations to field a side at the Asian Games, also known as Asiad, in China November next year.
As per Olympic rules, only passport holders are permitted to represent their country in the Asian Games, which will take place in Guangzhou.
Oman were the first nation to signal their aim to play at the Asiad, which in turn sparked their GCC neighbours into action.
The Twenty20 Gulf Cup was originally scheduled to involve four teams, Bahrain, Oman and Kuwait, as well as the hosts, UAE. The plans have since been revised after a side of Saudi nationals expressed their desire to participate.
The Gulf Cup provides an opportunity to prove talented national players are also playing the sport, according to Kuwait's captain, the veteran off-spinner Taher Bastaki, who expects to have a squad of 14 for the competition.
"We should have Kuwaitis representing their national team, and for us to be able to play in a competition like this is overwhelming," he said.
"For us it will be a real challenge. We want to represent our country - represent our country as a national team.
"When we come here, we are not looking to be placed as the winners, or finish runners-up. We are just looking to play for the name of Kuwait.
"Maybe our team will be weak, but we just want to play so that we can show everybody there are GCC nationals who are playing cricket."
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How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
Company%C2%A0profile
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
More on Quran memorisation:
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