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Six Week Countdown to KARP Group Hong Kong Cricket Sixes 2012
[Hong Kong, September 18, 2012]: Marking six weeks out from the KARP Group Hong Kong Cricket Sixes 2012,
the Hong Kong Cricket Association (HKCA) today unveiled the tournament draw and
ticketing details for this annual international festival of cricket (October
27-28, 2012).
Eight
teams will take part in the 2012 KARP Group Hong Kong Sixes, the only annual
cricket event held in Hong Kong sanctioned by the International Cricket Council
(ICC), the world’s governing body for the sport.
The participating
teams in 2012 are defending champions Pakistan and last year’s runners-up
England, as well as India, Australia, Sri Lanka, South Africa and Hong Kong. One of the world’s most promising ICC
Associate Members, The Netherlands, returns to the Hong Kong Cricket Sixes for
the first time since 1996, rounding out the eight competing teams which were
drawn into their respective tournament pools today.
Attending today’s
press conference was Mr Jonathan McKinley, Deputy Secretary of the Home Affairs
Bureau of the Hong Kong SAR Government, acting as a representative of Hong
Kong’s Major Sports Events Committee,
which has awarded the Hong Kong Cricket Sixes “M Mark” status for a fifth
consecutive year in 2012.
Captain
Shahzada Saleem Ahmed and Mr Simon Millington, President and Chairman
respectively of the Hong Kong Cricket Association (HKCA), also participated in today’s
press conference.
Captain
Shahzada Saleem Ahmed commented on the 2012 KARP Group Hong Kong Sixes saying, “Since
first hosting the event in 1992, Cricket Sixes has become a popular and
entertaining format the world over, while also giving rise to abbreviated codes
of the game like Twenty20. The Hong
Kong Sixes looks forward to continuing our tradition of innovation and
world-class sporting entertainment in 2012 and for decades to come.”
For today’s
tournament draw, the teams were banded into four bands of two teams each before
being drawn into two pools of four teams each.
Pakistan
and England, last year’s defending champions and runners-up respectively, (and
the two countries with the most Hong Kong titles to their credit with five each),
were grouped in band 1 and drawn into the first line of Pools A and B. Sri Lanka and South Africa were banded in
group two and then drawn to complete the second line of the two pools, followed
by India and Australia in band three. Hong Kong and The Netherlands were grouped
in band four and drawn to complete the final line of the two pools.
HKCA Chairman
Simon Millington commented on the draw saying, “We are excited to again welcome
the premier sides in world cricket for the KARP Group Hong Kong Sixes 2012. After
last year’s sensational tournament I have no doubt that all of the teams will
be returning intent on victory in 2012.
“The
strong performance by the Hong Kong team in 2011 and the addition of the
Netherlands for the first time since 1996 will add even more excitement to what
promises to be another unforgettable weekend of world-class cricket this
October,” added Millington.
The tournament
also unveiled the Hong Kong jersey for the 2012 event designed by Playmore, the
official kit suppliers for the 2012 KARP Group Cricket Sixes, this afternoon.
Six of
Hong Kong’s most promising players modeled the new gear this afternoon alongside
Hong Kong National Coach Charlie Burke, who also commented on his team’s expectations
for this year’s tournament:
“I believe
the seven players in the Hong Kong team for this year’s Sixes are capable of winning the title for the first time
ever. We lost in the semi final last year against eventual winners Pakistan
which really hurt the guys. We have a simple game plan that we all stick too
and we look forward to showcasing our skills in front of our supporters.”
Tickets
for the KARP Group Hong Kong Cricket Sixes 2012 will go on public sale
tomorrow, (September 19, 2012), and are available in both single day and event ticket
packages.
Saturday-only
tickets retail for HK$310 (HK$180) for children, while the Sunday only ticket
is HK$550 for adults and $220 for children. Full weekend package tickets are available for HK$800 for adults and
HK$380 for children.
Tickets
for the KARP Group Hong Kong Cricket Sales 2012 are available via the Hong Kong
Ticketing website (www.hkticketing.com) and
telephone hotlines, as well as the Hong Kong Cricket Association office in
Olympic House, Kowloon Cricket Club, Hong Kong Cricket Club and DotCod
restaurant in Central.
About the KARP Group Hong Kong Cricket Sixes 2012
Organized
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, and title sponsored by KARP Group.
The tournament has
been broadcast live since 2008 and in 2012 reached over 115 million households
on the Indian subcontinent, across Southest 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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