Gayle-sponsored scholarships for Asian cricketers

DUBAI, UAE,  CMC – Two of the United Arab Emirates’ most promising cricketers have been awarded with scholarships by Jamaica and West Indies opening batsman Chris Gayle.

Sixteen-year-old Shorye Chopra and Kartik Shekar won the Spartan Scholarship based on their outstanding performances for UAE junior team and in domestic tournaments.

The young cricketers will get to use the Spartan bat that both Gayle and Australia captain Michael Clarke use in international cricket. In all, the teenagers each received Spartan cricket equipment worth more than 5,000 UAE Dirham (US$1,300).

They were chosen after Sun and Sand Sport conducted a country-wide search for budding talent.

Chopra has played for the UAE Under-19 team, hitting a match-winning century against Nepal in the Asian Cricket Council tournament in Malaysia, and has scored consistently in school and academy matches.