Global logistics player DP World of Dubai is using cricket to create awareness about the company’s brand and also help the needy by supplying kits to local cricket clubs.

Its association with cricket started with the Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2020; followed by a deal with Delhi Capitals early this year and is now associated with the ongoing ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in June as the ICC’s Official Global Logistics Partner.

The partnership started from the ICC World Test Championship Final recently in London and includes all major ICC events in men’s and women’s cricket, including the Cricket World Cup, T20 World Cup and Champions Trophy.

DP World in India operates five container terminals in India – two in Mumbai, one each in Mundra, Cochin and Chennai – with a combined capacity of approximately 6 million TEUs. With the addition of Tuna Tekra in Kandla, Gujarat, DP World will have a combined capacity of 8.19 million TEUs.

“We have a large presence in India in the logistics sector and want people to be aware of the brand using cricket. The game is huge in India, and we want to connect with the people in the grass root using the game to give back to society,” Rizwan Soomar, CEO and Managing Director for Middle East, North Africa and India Subcontinent at DP World, told businessline.

Indian cricketers Sachin Tendulkar and Ravi Shastri were involved in the company’s endeavour with the former distributing the kits to children in Mumbai a few days ago and the latter in Chennai on Friday. The kits were distributed in Ahmedabad by BCCI’s Secretary Jay Shah.

Soomar said under DP World’s ‘Beyond Boundaries Initiative,’ the company has pledged over 2,000 cricket kits to grassroots cricket clubs across the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023. The company has delivered 750 kits to date, including 250 in Chennai.

As part of this initiative, a bespoke container with cricketing gear was unveiled at Chennai Boys Higher Secondary School in Chennai by Ravi Shastri and Soomar.

Soomar said the container unveiled at Chennai will be stationed at the Gen-Next Cricket Institute, Loyola College Ground, with the kits distributed to players of the Gen-Next Cricket Academy, Supers Kings Academy, and other Government Schools in the city of Chennai.

During the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, DP World has committed to delivering 10 kits for every 100 runs scored, resulting in a pledge of over 2,000 kits to grassroots clubs worldwide through this impactful initiative. Through Beyond Boundaries, DP World will leverage its end-to-end network and smart logistics capabilities to deliver cricket kits and equipment through at least fifty bespoke shipping containers placed in cricket playing communities across the world.

Each of these containers contain 250 kits including bats, helmets, gloves, and pads. The containers also serve the dual purpose of having an in-built scoreboard and shade for protection from the sun, a place where aspiring cricket talent can rest and rejuvenate, he said.

This cricket facility will play a vital role in providing essential cricket gears, offering a space for relaxation and revitalization, catering to the needs of aspiring cricket talent in the state. It will also provide a secure changing area for female cricket enthusiasts during practice.

Over the next five years, DP World will continue to leverage its interconnected global network across 73 countries and six continents to distribute the remaining 47 containers at strategic locations, including Johanesberg, around the world; including another two during this year’s tournament, he said.

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