With less than one month to the start of the Diadora Jozi Cup,
the tournament organisers are ready, the clubs are ready and the players are most certainly ready and very excited!
Starting on the first weekend in May, the community-based competition includes over 20 clubs spanning 10 age group categories and over 110 participating teams from U11 right through to over 40’s. The brainchild of Lions Cricket, the Diadora Jozi Cup was developed to foster club cricket which ultimately serves as a continuation of the pipeline feeder system.
Tournament Director Reuben Mandlazi is brimming with excitement and says that the purpose of the tournament is to ensure that club cricket still remains relevant and garners the exposure it deserves;
“Now more than ever, club cricket is vital to make sure that there is continuity for players still wanting to stay in the game and for those equally talented players who have missed out on provincial selections but still have what it takes to make it through via other avenues. Competitive club cricket offers players the opportunity to hone their skills under the guidance and mentorship of more experienced players. The tournament also strives to uphold its founding values of inclusivity, diversity, fairness, equity and equality no matter religion, race or gender; offering clubs and the entire cricketing eco-system something innovative and exciting to associate with and feel a sense of belonging to. Here, players get be part of the club culture long term, it’s a beautiful thing to witness a father and son playing in the same event, mentored by experienced past and present players.”
The tournament will once again include blind cricket teams, bearing testimony to Lions Cricket’s ambition of being a truly inclusive union that is bent on making a difference on and off the field in broader communities.
The biggest and only Lions Cricket officially endorsed winter cricket tournament also includes players from the Telkom Talent Acceleration Program – the powerful pipeline system that unearths talent to further develop the game.
“The Telkom Talent Acceleration Programme is a key programme for Lions Cricket as it is the space where we prepare players for professional cricket, providing unrivalled opportunities for the players to get coached by elite coaches within our system. Further to this, we have cascaded the programme down to our junior system with the objective of developing and producing athletes from our privileged and under privileged communities,” says Mandlazi.
Lions Cricket would like to extend a genuine thank you to the existing Lions Cricket partners including Diadora, DP World, Telkom, McDonald’s, Shrey, Mnandi Signs, Joburg Tourism, Sun International, Shattered Glass, Blaster, Enza Construction, Beyers, Sweetie Pie, Ellies, Masana Energy Solutions, ADT, Afripure, Sunfoil, Alliance, Richfield, Promac Paints, Macrocomm, Lift Airlines, Hirsch’s and so many more, all of which have backed this competition once more, helping to grow the communities in which Lions Cricket serves.
In addition, the tournament warmly welcomes the Joburg Super Kings to the Diadora Jozi Cup family. Fondly known as JSK, the SA20 franchise brings with them their razzmatazz, their professionalism, their passion for the game and loyalty to Lions Cricket and will unquestionably boost this tournament to unprecedented heights, so says Lions Cricket CEO Jono Leaf-Wright;
“Every year our partnership pool expands, the support of this competition never ceasing to amaze us here at Lions Cricket. We thank our sponsors and indeed warmly welcome our Joburg Super Kings family to our world class Winter Club Cricket competition. JSK love Joburg and want to see the talent on display which certainly does excite me.”
The stage is set for another showcasing of exceptional talent, thrilling moments, and the very essence of sport. Players are encouraged to have fun; be respectful and appreciative; and DREAM BIG: The Diadora Jozi Cup way!
The divisions/age groups are as follows:
U11, U13, U14, U16 and U18; Men’s Open Division (Premier League A); Women’s Open Division; Senior Men’s Open; Veterans and Blind cricket.
The finals will take place over the Youth Day weekend, with the Diadora Jozi Cup prizegiving for each age group set to take place post each match. Entries have officially closed, but should you wish to follow the action and stay abreast of the fixtures, please follow Lions Cricket on the below platforms:
Instagram – @lionscricnews. Facebook – Lions Cricket News. Twitter – @LionsCricNews
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