CRICKET – Asian Cricket Council (ACC) president and Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah recently visited Bahrain to attend two significant events, BRAVE CF 80 and the IMMAF Asian Championship at the Bahrain BRAVE International Combat Week 2023 on the invitation of Supreme Council for Youth and Sport first deputy chairman, General Sports Authority (GSA) chairman and Bahrain Olympic Committee (BOC) president Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa.
His presence reflected the growing collaboration between cricket and mixed martial arts, underscoring the interconnectedness of various sporting communities on the global stage, said a statement from Bahrain Cricket Federation (BCF).
During his meeting with Shaikh Khalid, the patron of BCF under whose vision Bahrain cricket has seen stratospheric growth, Shah pledged his support for promoting Bahrain cricket on the international stage. As the president, he has brought the first board meeting of the ACC to Bahrain and supported BCF as it hosted the ACC U16 tournament in the UAE.
Shaikh Khalid also spoke about building the infrastructure for cricket in the kingdom including a world-class cricket stadium, an endeavour that Shah also promised to support.
Shaikh Khalid’s adviser Mohammad Shahid briefed Shah about Brave CF and the rise of its popularity in India. It is the first global mixed martial arts organisation to host an event in India, having hosted three major shows in 2017, 2018 and 2019. India remains a focus area for the fastest-growing global promotion that has hosted events in 30 nations worldwide.
BRAVE CF is also considering launching its first franchise-based league format in India for which a strategic roadmap has been prepared.
Shah, who has been instrumental in steering the success of the ICC Men’s World Cup, also met the new BCF board and was honoured by advisory board chairman Mohammad Mansoor and members.
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