Players and fans are urged to get ready as the second edition of the exciting Kares One Guyana T10 Tapeball Blast will return on August 3, with August 4, 11, and 25 being the other playing dates.
After the success of the inaugural season in 2023, Kares Engineering returned as the title sponsor without hesitation.
Once again, 32 of the best Tapeball teams in Guyana will vie for lucrative cash prizes and year-long bragging rights.
The semi-finals, final, and the highly anticipated Cricket for Charity match, which is expected to involve President Dr. Irfaan Ali, government and private sector members, will be held on Sunday, August 25, at the National Stadium, Providence.
In a press release on Wednesday, Co-Director of FL Sport, John Ramsingh, expressed immense excitement over season two’s return and posited he thinks it will be highly competitive.
“2023 was truly a sublime year for the tournament; it was way beyond expectations with the support from the players and Guyanese people, and the National Stadium crowd was amazing. We hope to certainly eclipse such numbers in support and offer a quality tournament to the players”, Ramsingh expressed.
According to the Co-Director, the expansion was given heavy consideration, but it was decided that in 2024, it will remain 32 teams on a straight-knock-out basis.
However, should there be the required corporate support, efforts will be made to host zones that qualify for the main tournament.
John Ramsingh (right) collects the ceremonial cheque for the title sponsorship from Natasha Persaud of Kares Engineering Inc.
Ramsingh further revealed that they have interest from teams in Pakistan, Dominica, Barbados, and Trinidad and Tobago, some of which could sign up for the 2025 edition.
“We will be streaming matches from the quarter-final onwards again, both on Facebook, Youtube, FL Sport’s website, and, thanks to a great partner in ENet, on cable television. Sitting and watching quality Tapeball from the comfort of one’s home is a big plus, but it also gives our sponsors much-needed visibility and value for their investment.”
In 2023, the tournament had thousands of viewers on social media, especially the Cricket for Charity match, also streamed on President Ali’s Facebook page.
More so, the President’s effort raised over G$20M for charities in Guyana, and the expectation is that with more corporate support, that number will increase for charities.
For details, teams are urged to stay tuned to the One Guyana T10 Blast Facebook page.
Registration will soon open, and a fee of G$25,000 will be charged.
The first prize has increased to G$1.5M while second cops $500,000 and the two losing semi-finalists pocket $250,000 each.
Cash and other prizes will be given to the Player of the final, the Most wickets, the Most runs, and the Most Valuable Players.
Last year, Eccles All-Stars defeated V-Net Vipers in the final, while Team Corruption and Tarmac were the losing semi-finalists.