Curtain comes down on ACC U16 West Zone Cup in Doha

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May 6, 2025
Cricket
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6-May-2025

Curtain comes down on ACC U16 West Zone Cup in Doha

Doha: The curtain came down last night on the ACC Men’s U16 West Zone Cup, which was hosted in Doha over 13 days at the West End International Cricket Stadium and Doha University of Science and Technology Ground. The tournament featured six teams: hosts Qatar, along with Oman, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the UAE, and Bahrain.

The final day of the competition saw a thrilling championship match between the UAE and Kuwait, where the UAE emerged victorious with a commanding scoreline of 317–172 to claim the title.

The closing ceremony was attended by HE Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Saud Al Thani, President of the Qatar Cricket Committee, alongside ACC President Mr. Mohsin Naqvi and several prominent dignitaries.

This edition marked the first-ever “50-over” cricket tournament held in Qatar—an internationally recognized format in which matches last between five and seven hours. The champion team will now qualify for the next U19 competition, the date and location of which are yet to be confirmed.

Tournament Director Mr. Khalid Al-Suwaidi expressed his satisfaction with the successful conclusion of the event, both in terms of competition and organization. Speaking after the final, Al-Suwaidi said: “We are delighted with the tremendous success of the championship, particularly as it’s the first of its kind to be held in Qatar in the 50-over category. We look forward to hosting even larger-scale tournaments in the near future, under the auspices of the Asian Cricket Council or the International Cricket Council.”

He added that ACC officials and tournament guests had praised the quality of organization and were highly impressed with Qatar’s ability to deliver such a well-managed and professional event throughout the 13 days of play. He also congratulated the UAE team on their title win.

Al-Suwaidi concluded by affirming that efforts will now focus on preparing Qatar’s U16 national cricket team to make an even stronger impact in future competitions.