The International Cricket Council (ICC) spent Rwf 900 million during the past four T20 World Cup qualifiers hosted in Rwanda over the past three months, Times Sport has established. Rwanda was this year given the hosting rights for the four of the five Africa Regional Qualifying tournaments including the U-19 Mens Cricket World Cup Africa Qualifier that took place from September 28 to October 7 and the ICC Mens T20 World Cup Africa Qualifier held from November 15-20. The country also hosted the ICC Men’s T20 Sub Regional World Cup Qualifier Group A, from October 14-23 and the ICC Men’s T20 Sub Regional World Cup Qualifier Group B, which took place from October 31 to November 8. The ICC regional office confirmed the revised schedule of the qualifiers after consulting representatives from member countries, including Rwanda, participating countries and the ICC Global Pathways Events Manager. All the four tournaments cost ICC over Rwf 900 million which according to tournaments’ coordinator Emmanuel Byiringiro, were spent in accommodating teams, transportation, regular testing of covid-19 for players, team delegates and organisers among others. The expenses include transportation of teams, hotel bills, food, branding, medical services especially during regular testing of covid-19 among others. “Apart from successfully hosting these tournaments, the tournament created a number of jobs which I think was good during this covid-19 period,” Byiringiro said. Uganda’s starlets qualified for the 2022 ICC U-19 World Cup in West Indies while the country’s senior team also secured a ticket to the ICC T20 World Cup Global Qualifiers slated in February next year after last weekend’s hard-fought victory over Kenya by six wickets. On top of securing qualification, the Ugandan team also bagged $ 80 000. Meanwhile, Rwanda has struggled to challenge for a ticket from any of the three qualifying tournaments they participated in, despite hosting the majority of the World Cup Qualifiers including the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Africa Qualifier held in Namibia from September 7-20, U-19 Mens Cricket World Cup Africa Qualifier and ICC Men’s T20 Sub Regional World Cup Qualifier Group A, both held in Kigali.
