LONDON: Mirpur Royals owner Suleman Raza has congratulated the people of Kashmir on the successful completion of the Kashmir Premier League (KPL) 2021.
Raza, a UK based Pakistani businessman who bought the club to connect the one-million-strong British Kashmiri community with Azad Kashmir, told media here on his return from Pakistan that the experience was immensely powerful as the KPL brought joy to millions of people and set new records.
Raza, who spent two weeks in Azad Kashmir with his team, said he wanted to provide employment as well as entertainment opportunities for the people of Kashmir and the successful completion of the KPL will pave the way for the development and encouragement of Kashmiri talent.
Raza said Geo News in the UK showed all matches live and played a central role in bringing joy to Kashmiris in Britain who were unable to attend the matches in Azad Kashmir due to the current travel restrictions.
The Mirpur Royals ended the league at third place with three victories and two losses. Rawalakot Hawks and Muzaffarabad Tigers battled it out in the final which ultimately resulted in the victory of the Hawks.
Commenting on the success of Kashmir Premier League which has provided the cricket starved Kashmiris with a chance to enjoy the sport in their own home, Raza said: “After the KPL was announced, hundreds of people from Mirpur in the UK asked me that I should buy the Mirpur Royals and create its connection with the biggest Mirpuri community outside of Mirpur.
“The people of Mirpur take immense pride in their culture and their origin and they want to celebrate it through soft power such as sports. Over the decades and through three generations the people of Mirpur have preserved their culture.”
The KPL was launched by Shehryar Khan Afridi, chairman of the Parliamentary Special Committee on Kashmir.
The President of Azad Jammu and Kashmir serves as the Chief Patron of KPL while Wasim Akram is the founding Vice President.
