Former Pakistan Super League (PSL) Champions Peshawar Zalmi in collaboration with the Zalmi Foundation have launched their third league with an aim to promote peace and interfaith harmony among the youth.
The league will be called ‘The Madrasa Cricket League,’ said the Chairman Javed Afridi. It is a collaboration between the Zalmi Foundation and the World Council of Religions.
The announcement was made at Haier Factory in Lahore where Javed Afridi, Chairman of the Zalmi group, along with Maulana Muhammad Yaseen Zafar, Secretary-General, Wifaq-ul-Madaris Al-Salfia, Hafiz Muhammad Nauman Hamid, Executive Director - WCR Pakistan, Father Nadeem Francis (Secretary: Catholic Bishops Conference Pakistan) and Sardar Kalyan Singh (Sikh Community Leader) were present.
Addressing to the ceremony, Javed Afridi said “We have proved yet again that Peshawar Zalmi is not only a cricket franchise, it is a long-term ideology built on the foundation of promoting sports in the region and empower the youth of KPK through the initiatives of Zalmi Foundation and we have proven that time and again.”
“We also aim to promote inter-faith harmony and religious tolerance among the youth. Zalmi Madrasa League is the first step in achieving this long-term vision,” he added.
Javed said that through sports, the message of peace and prosperity can be spread throughout the world. Through this league, the students of Madrasa will be diverted towards cricket and with this, they will also be exposed to religious conferences that will help them in enhancing their knowledge. Students from all Madrasas will participate in this league.
On this occasion, the MOU between Zalmi Foundation and World Council of Religions was signed. The first phase of the league will commence from August in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The first phase teams are listed below which will compete with each other:
During the press conference, the logo and kits of the league were also revealed.