South African legend Gibbs in Dubai to promote Intercontinental Legends Championship
South African cricket legend Herschelle Gibbs attended the Intercontinental Legends Championship (ILC) trophy unveiling ceremony in Dubai on Thursday which marked the start of an exciting cricket league that will bring together legends from across the globe.
The inaugural season of the ILC will be held from March 3 to March 12, 2025, at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Dehradun, India, featuring six teams from different continents: Africa Lions, American Strikers, Asian Avengers, Euro Gladiators, Caribbean Hurricanes and Trans Titans.
The trophy unveiling event was also graced by Umesh Kumar, MLA (Khanpur, Uttarakhand) and CEO of ILC League; Pradeep Sangwan, promoter of the ILC League; Munaf Patel, former Indian cricketer and Ravindra Bhati, founder of 100 Sports Management Pvt. Ltd., among others.
Sangwan, who is also the visionary behind the ILC League, spoke passionately about the league's goals.
'The ILC League is not just a tournament, it aims to unite the world through the game. The speciality of the league is that it will travel around different continents, starting in India, igniting the feeling of competitiveness among players all the more,' he said.
Kumar shared his insights into the league's vision and its potential to reshape the future of international cricket.
'Today marks a significant milestone in our journey towards making this event historic. When we planned to start the league, I didn't take it seriously – but its vision, ambition and potential made me believe that this is going to be historic. I want to thank you all who joined us today to celebrate this important day, adding to the excitement,' he said.
Gibbs echoed the same emotion of Sangwan highlighting that the league's name says a lot.
'Intercontinental is a bit more about affiliation because continents are involved and that makes the league competitive and different from the other ongoing leagues," the South African legend said.
"There's rivalry, intensity and much more… Even though it's legends' cricket, one thing that never fades from the game is competitiveness. I believe the league has a lot to offer in terms of intensity, rivalries on the field apart from its high standard cricket action.'
Patel, a key member of India's 2011 World Cup-winning team, said: 'When we quit international cricket, we don't focus on fitness much. But thanks to the legends leagues, we can play with that competitiveness again and it's thrilling to be back in action. ILC is one of the best among the ongoing leagues and I'm proud to be part of it.'
The league will be broadcast live on the Sony Network, allowing fans worldwide to witness every moment of the cricketing action.
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