Sports Snippets

Emirates - official airline for RWC

RUGBY: Emirates, the Dubai based international airline, has become the official airline of Rugby World Cup to be staged in France in November with the agreement signed between the two parties concerned.

Apart from being the official airline, Emirates, will brand the perimeter boards at 10 venues throughout France and two in the United Kingdom and also enjoy ticket and hospitality facilities for all games throughout the tournament.

Emirates is developing a sophisticated activation programme to bring this sponsorship to life around the world, including a substantial programme in France, targeting several major cities as well as in Southern hemisphere countries where the airline will help bring fans to the event. Emirates has a strong affiliation with rugby.

They Sponsor the International Rugby Board (IRB) referees and match officials, four tournaments in the IRB 7's World Series, the Emirates Airline Dubai 7's, the Emirates Airline South Africa 7's, the Emirates Airlines London 7's and the IRB 7's final apart from the Edinborough 7's and jersey sponsor of the England and Samoan 7's teams. In Australia, Emirates sponsors the Emirates Western Force.

In addition to rugby, Emirates, is also a strong supporter of football as sponsor of Arsenal FC and its home ground, the Paris Saint Germain FC, Hamburg FC and as an official partner of FIFA. They are also heavily involved in Golf, Cricket, Horse Racing and Sailing.

Royal struggle against Cambrians

CRICKET: Royalists were struggling at 98 for 8 in reply to Cambrians total of 177 at the end of day one in their school cricket match at Moratuwa yesterday.

Cambrians winning the toss, elected to bat. Former skipper Isuru Gunasena was the top scorer for homesters with 48. He was associated in a seventh wicket partnership of 74 runs with Sanka Peiris who made 26. Lakshitha de Silva was the most successful bowler for the visitors with 4 for 38.

For the Royalists the only resistance came from their skipper Feroze Ahmed who contributed 23 runs.

Sri Lanka schools cricketer Rumesh Thirimanne who had a successful tour in Malaysia was the pick of the bowlers for Cambrians with 3 for 15.

Prince of Wales: 177 (Isuru Gunasena 48, Rajitha Mendis 33, Sanka Peiris 26, Yohan Silva 21, Lakshitha de Silva 4 for 38, Haroon Majwood 2 for 49).

Royal: 98 for 8 (Feroze Ahmed 23, Rumesh Thirimanne 3 for 15, Gavinda Shivantha 2 for 18).

Wesley defy Nalanda attack

CRICKET: Wesley defied the Nalanda attack to force a draw in their school cricket match at Campbell Park yesterday.

Wesley 55 for 3 overnight in reply to Nalanda 280 on Friday were dismissed for 140 with spinner Amal Atapatthu claiming 5 for 36 give Nalanda a good 140 runs lead. Homesters following on did well to score 255 for 8 with Ryan Kern hitting a brisk 52 with 11 fours and Sachindra Rupasinghe unbeaten with 57 with 7 fours. Once again Atapatthu bowled best with 4 for 92 to bag a match haul of 9 for 128.

Nalanda: 280

Wesley: 140 (I. Jayaratne 34, D. Marasinghe 23, A. Atapatthu 5 for 36, Ashan Priyanjana 3 for 30) and 255 for 8 (S. Sirirathna 28, S. Sammandapperuma 28, R. Kern 52, S. Rupasinghe 57 n.o., A. Atapatthu 4 for 92, M. Weerasinghe 2 for 55).

Ananda held to a draw

Dharmaraja forced a draw against Ananda in their school cricket match for the P. W. Perera Memorial Trophy at Ananda Mawatha yesterday. Ananda retained the trophy for their win in the inaugural year in 1999. From then onwards the encounter has been drawn.

Ananda who made 283 on Friday gained 100 runs lead dismissing Rajans for 181. R. T. B. N. Battangala stroked fine 51 with 10 fours for the visitors, while spinner Udara Peiris claimed 6 for 58.

Rajans following on did well with sensible batting by R. Y. Sooriyarachchi a fine 77 (1 six and 10 fours) and R. M. J. C. Rathnayake 68 (1 six and 6 fours) who made a good recovery. Spinner Malith Gunatilleke captured 4 for 71 and had a match bag of 7 for 128. His tally wickets now rose to 86.

Ananda: 283

Dharmaraja: 181 (T. B. N. Battangala 51, R. M. J. C. Rathnayake 48, M. Gunatilleke 2 for 57, U. Peiris 6 for 58) and 230 for 5 (U. A. Wijesiri 24, R. C. K. Abagasthota 22, R. Y. Sooriyarachchi 77, R. M. J. C. Rathnayake 68, M. Gunatilleke 5 for 71).

Emirates sponsor Australia

CRICKET: Emirates, the Dubai based international airline, announced an Australian Dollars 500,000 sponsorship of the Australian cricket team, who will be defending the World Cup and aiming to win it three-in-a-row in the West Indies in March-April.

Ricky Ponting who leads Australia has led them to 27 wins from 35 games during his captaincy so far and play their first game in the World Cup against Scotland on March 13 at St. Kitts.

Emirates has a long and successful partnership with the Australian team and were associated with the Aussies since they won the World Cup in 1999 and hope their involvement this year too will see the same result.

Emirates will also be the naming rights sponsor of the celebration of Australian One-Day International event and World Cup departure ceremony on February 27 at Luna Park in Sydney.

This gala event will re-unite all players who have represented Australia in limited-overs cricket as well as announcing the greatest Australian One-Day International side ever.

Australia's 1987 World Cup winning squad too will be honoured with a retrospective presentation of World Cup champions rings of the type presented to the 1999 and 2003 World Cup champions.

Emirates also sponsor the ICC umpires and is the official airline to Cricket Australia.