Emirates Airline Stages Master Class for Budding Cricketers

Lahore Lions stars hosted coaching clinic and signed autographs for CARE Foundation students

KARACHI, December 13, 2012 – Emirates, one of the fastest growing international airlines, provided an unforgettable experience for youngsters from the CARE Foundation by staging a coaching clinic with star players from National T20 champions Lahore Lions.

The children were thrilled as Umar Akmal and Nasir Jamshed signed autographs and posed for pictures at the Gaddafi Stadium. They also had the opportunity to ask the Pakistan international players about their lives as professional cricketers. In addition, the youngsters bowled deliveries to their special guests and tried batting against them.

“It is tremendously satisfying that through our sponsorship of domestic cricket in Pakistan we are able to stage events like this which inspire youngsters. We aim to extend our support by providing opportunities such as this to children who can benefit from meeting with these experienced, national cricketers,” said Khalid Bardan, Emirates’ Vice President, Pakistan. “Children look up to cricket players and hopefully this activity will not only help them develop their cricket skills, but also inspire them on a personal level,” added Bardan.

“Interacting with these children and experiencing their excitement first hand is a gratifying feeling. Knowing that you may be able to make a difference to their lives is the reason I got involved with the sport in the first place,” said Akmal, star batsman of Lahore Lions.

“Through this great initiative undertaken by Emirates we really enjoyed connecting with the children and were able to offer our advice on techniques as well as what a cricketing career entails. Their passion inspired us,” he added.

A representative from the CARE Foundation – a non-profit organization dedicated to providing a better future to the children of Pakistan by empowering them through education – said the youngsters were delighted to meet the two cricketers.

Emirates also recently arranged for 100 children from the CARE Foundation to witness the National T20 final. The airline treated the children to an exciting day as they watched their cricketing idols from the stands.

The airline has a long history of supporting cricket through its various sponsorships across the globe. The National T20 was the latest tournament in Emirates’ collaboration with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). Following this, the airline will also be supporting the upcoming Faysal Bank Super8 T20.