AMTOI’s first ever “ AMTOI CRICKET TOURNAMENT” (ACT) was launched on “AMTOI’s Foundation Day” on 2nd December 2018 at “The Acres Club” Chembur, with 32 Member Teams confirming participation. Mr. Pravin Amre, former Test Cricketer, was the Chief Guest who inaugurated the Tournament by Lighting the Lamp and also gave sound advice to all the players to participate keeping in mind the spirit of the game. The day saw Four teams playing the inaugural two knockout matches.
The balance knockout matches were played on 8th and 9th December at the St. Andrews Astro Turf Grounds, Bandra West.
It was a fun-filled and exciting weekend. Day 1 saw more than 400 people flooding the grounds and day 2 witnessed approximately 300+ persons.
St. Andrews Turf was resounding with the joyous voices of winning Teams, with thunderous applause for hard hitting fours and sixes, diving catches coupled with good wicket-keeping and hard running between wickets; The air was filled with loud cheers and exclamations of disappointment for dropped catches and batsmen who got out, and warlike cries when Umpires gave their decisions.
One of the matches saw last ball, last man standing and one run required for winning.. one could not have asked for more! The atmosphere was electric and despite the hot sun beating down on players and spectators, the mood was vibrant and energetic.
The camaraderie among the participating Teams, the teamwork within each Team and the spirit and determination to win each match was evident….. and it lead the Tournament to its nail-biting finish.
The FINALISTS were TRITON LOGISTICS and MARCONS Ship management.
The ACT FINALS were held on Saturday 15th December 2018 at the Acres Club, Chembur. We saw some fine cricket being played and a crowd which lustily cheered the Teams to give their best.
The umpires from Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) also performed their duties admirably in a tension-filled situation.
The Team who took home the gleaming and coveted ACT Trophy was TRITON Logistics.
The Chief Guest for the event was Mr. T A Sekar who gave the toss, witnessed the match and later distributed the Awards and Certificates to the Winners and all the participant Teams at prize distribution ceremony. Speaking at the awards function, the Chief Guest on the day, TA Sekhar, lauded and appreciated the cricketing talent at AMTOI. He also fielded questions from the audience in what turned out to be an interactive and informative session. He spoke about the commercial turn that cricket has taken and pointed to the T10 league in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as an indication of how fast things continue to change in the sport. England, he pointed out, continue to be the purists, who enjoy the traditional form of test cricket spread over a full five days.
A Neem Tree was donated -the “ACT Tree” under whose branches this much-loved sport will be nurtured by AMTOI and its members. This symbolic ACT personified the Theme of the Tournament.
AMTOI’s managing committee member Anjali Bhide, also the convenor of ACT, said, the theme behind ACT is to build relationships that endure beyond business associations. She said she hoped that the idea of the tournament grows into an annual event at which AMTOI’s members can bond over a sport that everyone loves and respect, and which is, in fact, woven into the social fabric of the nation. “Let us resolve to ACT towards honour and respect for each other, to ACT to foster team spirit and unity, to ACT to expand our shared interest and to ACT to strengthen each other in daily transactions and interactions,” Anjali Bhide said.
The theme behind ACT has also been reflected in the logo designed by Anjali Bhide especially for the tournament. The Logo indicates AMTOI’s connection with the maritime industry as well as care, dependability and responsibility.
The ACT trophy and awards were sponsored by “Taurus Lines”
Our event sponsor “ABRAO GROUPs” generosity towards the ACT was abundant. Not a single detail was spared towards ensuring that every aspect of the Tournament was efficiently and professionally handled -the perfect venues, the cricket gear, calibre of the Umpires, the banners and the daily sumptuous spreads for the Teams, guests and the volunteers was superlative. Mr. George Abrao personally looked into each detail thereby lending the Tournament a photo-finish.
Without the support and magnanimity of our Sponsor “ABRAO Group”, ACT could not have been such a stupendous success.
Preparations for ACT 2019 have already begun…..
