Sharpening sportsmanship

When former India all-rounder and coach Robin Singh set up his cricket academy in the United Arab Emirates, Stephen Vincent, a noted coach with a vast experience from Chennai, was among the coaching staff at the academy. He went on to become the chief coach under Robin. And now, Vincent is the head coach of the Dunes Cricket Academy, which has three centres with turf wickets and Astro wickets, with the main one being at the Karama Sports Bay Centre.

- ASHOK VENUGOPAL

Indian coaches are sought after in Dubai as they have a fair understanding of the game and, importantly, are in tune with Asian culture and food habits. "There is huge demand for coaching facilities for children at the grassroots level, the U-19 level, and also the first-class level in Dubai. Parents believe that their children can enjoy the game and also become professionals, as there are many more opportunities than in the past. So, cricket is much more popular here (Dubai) than in the past," said Vincent.