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T20 Global League Bloem franchise in good hands

Cape Town – T20 Global League team owner, Hong-Kong based businessman and entrepreneur Sushil Kumar, today expressed his excitement and confidence in the soon-to-be-named Bloemfontein-based T20 team.

Speaking at a press conference in Bloemfontein today, Kumar shared his plans to put the Free State capital firmly on the world map. Kumar and his partners also showed their appreciation for the chance to take part in the newly formed T20 Global League, thanking Cricket South Africa (CSA) for the opportunity to invest in this exciting competition.

Kumar’s vision for his T20 Global League team is solid, and built on the spirit of togetherness, a sentiment that is sure to resonate with South Africans. “’Be a part, stand apart’ is our team motto. We want to become part of the local community through the game of cricket, in the spirit of true sportsmanship and fair play, while at the same time creating a unique identity through our focus on performance and development. Cricket brings people and countries together. It is a strong medium of integration,” said Kumar.

“Bloemfontein has a lot of potential – it was our first choice of city and we look forward to being based here. Our partnership with the city extends beyond the T20 Global League in terms of development of cricket at the grassroots level, and also in terms of tourism to the beautiful Free State city,” said Kumar. “We have a 12-month and 10-year plan in place.”

Free State Cricket Union President, Ms Zola Thamae agrees. “On behalf of our city, Bloemfontein, we are delighted to have you here, Mr Sushil Kumar. We welcome you, and we believe we will have a long term relationship with you in terms of sport development within the country. Thank you for choosing our city,” she said.

After concentrating his professional career in the sporting space, Kumar brings with him a wealth of experience. He owns and operates City Sports Limited, a major sporting events company, and owns one of the five cricket franchises in the successful Hong Kong T20 Blitz, City Kaitak. Through his work, Kumar and his partners have been heavily credited with bringing top class cricket to Hong Kong, and hopes to have the same effect locally.

The player draft is scheduled for late August, with almost 400 players from 10 countries confirming their interest.

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