LycaMobile, the official sponsor of the national senior men’s cricket team, welcomed the Cricket Cranes heroically upon their return from the ICC T20 World Cup in the West Indies and USA this afternoon.
This marked the team’s first-ever appearance at the World Cup since Uganda attained ICC Associate Member status in 1998. Uganda’s journey in ICC events began with the 2001 ICC Trophy in Canada, leading to a historic World Cup qualification after a clinical performance in Windhoek, Namibia, last November.
During the World Cup, Uganda garnered attention for their vibrancy and camaraderie both on and off the pitch. They capped their debut by winning a game – a three-wicket victory over Papua New Guinea.
“This is a team of national heroes, and we had to honor them with a heroic welcome,” said LycaMobile Uganda Marketing Director Vikram Lal. “The bus-top ride from the airport through town is a small gesture of appreciation and recognition of their efforts at the biggest T20 tournament in the world. Many teams play cricket – over 200.
“Imagine a small cricketing nation like Uganda being one of the 20 anthems sung more than once at the World Cup. Many teams have gone to the World Cup but have never won a match in five editions. Uganda did it on their first try. This is historic, and it’s the reason we celebrate them.”
The team traveled for four days with stopovers in Bridgetown, Barbados, and London, England, where they were hosted by the LycaMobile United Kingdom office and given a tour of the historic city. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) was their final transit, where they cooled off at the JW Marriott.
Below are more pictures capturing the team’s return:
