HKCA awarded MEF funding for Hong Kong Cricket Sixes 2011

Hong Kong, August 1 2011 - The Hong Kong Cricket Association (HKCA) is pleased to announce that it has been awarded HKD3.5 million from the Hong Kong SAR Government's Mega Event Fund for the world-renowned KARP Group Hong Kong Cricket Sixes 2011.

"The HKCA is thrilled with the support from the Mega Event Fund for the 2011 Hong Kong Cricket Sixes," said Captain Shahzada Saleem Ahmed, president of the Hong Kong Cricket Association.

"This support is vital for our plans to continue developing the tournament and will further raise the profile of Hong Kong on the international sporting stage. The Hong Kong Cricket Sixes is also an important platform for the growth of local cricket and the initiatives we introduce this year will help us attract new audiences to the game domestically," added Captain Saleem.

In line with the objectives of the Mega Events Fund to promote Hong Kong as an events capital of Asia, the HKCA has confirmed some exciting initial innovations for the 2011 event. Among the new initiatives to be introduced in 2011 is the expansion of the tournament from its traditional two-day format to a third day of world-class sporting action, with tournament play expanding to the Friday of the event weekend.

The HKCA is also excited to announce an expansion of the tournament field from eight to 12 teams in 2011. Three of the four new teams will be well-known national cricket teams while the fourth will be an invitational team of international cricket legends, modeling the success of the All Star format introduced for the Hong Kong Cricket Sixes in 2007 when the event was a sell out.

"The HKCA welcomes the funding from the Mega Events committee. The funding is recognition that the Sixes, as the only international cricket event in Hong Kong and with the full sanction of the International Cricket Council, is a significant international event on the Hong Kong calendar with a high potential to help promote the city to international audiences," said Dinesh Tandon, Hong Kong Cricket Association chairman.

"The funding provides a great opportunity for us to push the boundaries of the event even further and we have some exciting new ideas that will add significantly to the enjoyment of our local spectators and the millions more watching the event throughout the world," said Tandon.

Tournament dates and other details on the format, ticketing, participating teams and promotional activities will be announced at the official event announcement ceremony to be held to mark the 66-day countdown to the Sixes at end August 2011. The HKCA also made an appeal today for the continuation of the Mega Events Fund initiative past March 2012.

"The support from the Mega Events Fund is vital for associations like HKCA to continue to raise the profile of our activities, not just locally but on the global stage as well. MEF support will help us develop our events to attract greater sponsorship and become self-sustainable. HKCA has a long-term vision for the Sixes and for cricket in Hong Kong and with the support of the Mega Events Fund, the Tourism Commission and our stable of long-term sponsors we are confident of achieving this vision," added Captain Saleem.

Organised by the Hong Kong Cricket Association since 1992, the Hong Kong Cricket Sixes is the only international cricket event held in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong Cricket Sixes is fully sanctioned by the world's governing body for cricket, the International Cricket Council. The tournament has been broadcast live since 2008 and in 2010 reached more than 80 million households on the Indian subcontinent, across Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Australia and South Africa, as well as being packaged for distribution in North America, the United Kingdom, Europe and China.

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