DUBAI — Cricket star Kevin Pietersen has launched the KP24 Foundation’s inaugural Sprite 24/7 Project, which will see seven teams of underprivileged teenagers from all over the globe take part in a 10-day cricket camp and tournament in Dubai.
The players — aged between 16-18 — will enjoy training sessions with a selection of professional players and coaches, including Pietersen, before representing their countries in a global T20 tournament in front of 10,000 spectators at the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi.
Teams from India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Kenya, Pakistan and an Australian Aboriginal Team selected by Cricket Victoria will take part alongside a locally-selected UAE side for the event, which runs from Nov. 25 to Dec. 4.
Alongside cricket activities, the players will enjoy enterprise sessions designed to teach career skills, take part in educational and team challenges, and participate in exclusive excursions to local TV studios and attend England’s T20 match with Pakistan at the Dubai Stadium.
All boys will also participate in a cricket coaching course so they are able to deliver 10-week coaching programs to younger kids back home — “The KP24 Leaders Course” — and a standout player from each team will receive a full scholarship to support their cricketing development moving forward.
Pietersen, England’s all-time top scorer, said: “I’m so excited to announce and launch this hugely ambitious project for a cause very dear to my heart.
“Throughout my career I’ve been so fortunate to travel all around the world and meet so many amazing people, so it was always my ultimate ambition to put something on which gave something back to these places.
“Wherever I’ve travelled, whether it be with England or playing franchise cricket, kids have always come to our training and joined in whenever they could. It’s forever been a regret of mine that our limited time in these areas meant I couldn’t repay them with the amount of time and attention they deserve.
“The event will see boys leave their countries, most of whom for the first time, and hopefully pick up the skills and confidence needed to improve their everyday life.”
Taking place on the same day — Dec. 4 — is the final of the UAE’s official grassroots cricket tournament, Sprite Cricket Stars, also with the participation of Pietersen, along with Pakistan legend Shoaib Akhtar.
Sprite Cricket Stars was launched by Coca-Cola Middle East in 2011 as part of its ongoing drive to promote a healthy and active lifestyle and support blue-collar workers and the wider Asian community in the United Arab Emirates.
Commenting on Pietersen’s participation in the Sprite Cricket Stars tournament, Omar Bennis, director of Public Affairs and Communications, Coca-Cola Middle East, said: “Sprite, and indeed more broadly Coca-Cola Middle East, is committed to making a positive contribution to society, as well as spreading the importance of an active, healthy lifestyle, and these are ideal platforms to demonstrate our support.”
KP24 Foundation Ambassador, Gary Lineker, said: “This is a fantastic project which will hopefully change the lives of all those taking part and many more indirectly in the future.”
To learn more about KP24 Foundation, please visit www.kp24foundation.com.
