Yodhin Punja, a UAE under 19 cricket player, is photographed at The Fairgounds Oval in Dubai on April 9, 2015. Sarah Dea / The National
Yodhin Punja, a UAE under 19 cricket player, is photographed at The Fairgounds Oval in Dubai on April 9, 2015. Sarah Dea / The National

UAE Under-19 cricketers for tour of Malaysia selected



Coach seeking fresh blood for senior team

DUBAI // The UAE’s top emerging cricketers will get a chance to press their case for promotion to the senior set-up when the Under 19 side tours Malaysia this month.

Waruna Perera was named on Wednesday as captain of the age-group side heading to Kuala Lumpur for the ACC Under 19 Premier League.

The 50-over tournament starts on August 28 and also involves Afghanistan, Nepal, Saudi Arabia and Malaysia.

Coach Aaqib Javed, who will oversee the tour, has indicated the senior national team is due for some new blood.

Aaqib was disappointed by listless displays in two summer tours to the UK and Ireland, and he pointed out the side that has enjoyed so much success in recent years is showing signs of ageing.

The tour to Malaysia provides an opportunity for the leading teenaged players to advertise their talents.

A number of the squad are already known to the senior management. The all-rounders Yodhin Punja and Ahsan Ali both featured in extended training squads ahead of the two most recent tours.

Moiz Qazi, an off-spinning all-rounder from Abu Dhabi, was also part of the tour party at the World Twenty20 in Bangladesh last year. Ahmed Jasim, an Emirati all-rounder, is included for the first time.

“This is a great opportunity for the next generation of UAE representative players to compete against teams of the same skill level on an international stage,” said David East, the Emirates Cricket Board chief executive.

“We are confident they will play competitively in the tournament and wish them well.”

UAE squad for ACC Under 19 Premier League in Malaysia

Waruna Perera (captain), Yodhin Punja, Ahsan Ali, Atharva Kavi, Naseer Uddin, Abdullah Asif, Riyan Mohammed, Mohammed Afsal, Moiz Qazi, Sachin Jha, Ahmed Jasim, Ethan Holmes, Zafri Zafardeen, Kulith Rabel

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Founders: Ines Mena, Claudia Ribas, Simona Agolini, Nourhan Hassan and Therese Hundt

Date started: January 2017, app launched November 2017

Based: Dubai, UAE

Sector: Private/Retail/Leisure

Number of Employees: 18 employees, including full-time and flexible workers

Funding stage and size: Seed round completed Q4 2019 - $1m raised

Funders: Oman Technology Fund, 500 Startups, Vision Ventures, Seedstars, Mindshift Capital, Delta Partners Ventures, with support from the OQAL Angel Investor Network and UAE Business Angels

Moon Music

Artist: Coldplay

Label: Parlophone/Atlantic

Number of tracks: 10

Rating: 3/5

The BIO

Favourite piece of music: Verdi’s Requiem. It’s awe-inspiring.

Biggest inspiration: My father, as I grew up in a house where music was constantly played on a wind-up gramophone. I had amazing music teachers in primary and secondary school who inspired me to take my music further. They encouraged me to take up music as a profession and I follow in their footsteps, encouraging others to do the same.

Favourite book: Ian McEwan’s Atonement – the ending alone knocked me for six.

Favourite holiday destination: Italy - music and opera is so much part of the life there. I love it.

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: ARDH Collective
Based: Dubai
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Sector: Sustainability
Total funding: Self funded
Number of employees: 4
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India cancels school-leaving examinations
If you go

The flights

Fly direct to London from the UAE with Etihad, Emirates, British Airways or Virgin Atlantic from about Dh2,500 return including taxes. 

The hotel

Rooms at the convenient and art-conscious Andaz London Liverpool Street cost from £167 (Dh800) per night including taxes.

The tour

The Shoreditch Street Art Tour costs from £15 (Dh73) per person for approximately three hours. 

Company%20Profile
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Company: Bidzi

● Started: 2024

● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid

● Based: Dubai, UAE

● Industry: M&A

● Funding size: Bootstrapped

● No of employees: Nine

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Call of Duty: Black Ops 6

Developer: Treyarch, Raven Software
Publisher:  Activision
Console: PlayStation 4 & 5, Windows, Xbox One & Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5


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