News

Australia Day Goes GLoBALL competition winners

Monday, 23 January 2012
Staff writers for essendonfc.com.au
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Four lucky GLoBALL participants have won the chance to take on Victoria’s best Twenty20 cricketers when they join forces with Essendon and the Australia Day Goes GLoBALL cricket match this Thursday at Windy Hill.

The ten-over-a-side cricket match will see a number of the Bombers join cricket stars from both the Melbourne Stars and Melbourne Renegades in celebration of the GLoBALL program on Australia Day.

GLoBALL participants Sandeep Singh, Saumya Desai, Sameer Raza and Meizhu Chen have won the chance to play on the day and will join the two teams in showcasing their cricket talents.

Singh migrated to Australia in 2003 and last year founded the Tarneit Cricket Club with an aim at encouraging multicultural diversity.

“Last year I planned to start a cricket club for the Tarneit community which would encourage participation from diverse range of communities and hence help them to integrate with society in general,” Singh said.

“I am delighted with the opportunity to play in the Australia Day Goes GLoBALL cricket match and am honoured that I will be part of the event.”

22-year-old Saumya Desai who migrated to Australia from Ahmadabad, India in 2006 is excited about his chance to line up against elite level cricketers with the Bombers.

“I have been involved in the GLoBALL program for a few years now and being both an Essendon and Melbourne Stars fan I am looking forward to taking part in this great day,” Desai said.

Sameer Raza, 24, from Pakistan hopes his cricketing talents will one day see him playing for the Melbourne Renegades.

“I dream about playing cricket against international stars and to be lining up against quality cricketers on Australia Day is very exciting,” Raza said.

Meizhu Chen from China is currently studying Commerce at Monash University and is a big fan of all sports in Australia.

“Cricket is not played in China but I have a strong interest in watching the game and learning how to play,” Chen said.

“After this event I am pretty sure I will fall crazily in love with cricket.”

The GLoBALL program is a joint initiative between the Essendon Football Club and Cricket Victoria aimed at promoting a social inclusion, a sense of belonging and celebrating cultural diversity.

When: Thursday 26 January, 2012.
Where: Windy Hill

Entry: Gold coin donation (all proceeds will be donated to the Cancer Council – Relay for Life)

11:00am – Clinics
12:00noon – Windy Hill competitions
12:30pm – Australia Day Goes GLoBALL cricket match commences
2.00pm - Signing session

There will be a BBQ on the day courtesy of the Social Marketing Committee.

Click here for more information on the Australia Day Goes GLoBALL cricket match at Windy Hill this Thursday.