Lawyer Mahmood Gaznavi promised to continue developing local cricket and to ensure that the national team put up a good show at next year's SEA Games, after he was re-elected president of the Singapore Cricket Association (SCA) at its annual general meeting in Kallang yesterday.
"We will look at ways of expanding cricket participation and development so that it filters down to the indoor level," said the 54-year-old, following his win by 13 votes to 10 over Millennium United Cricket Club's (MUCC) Swamirajan Sakthidaran.
"We will have programmes to attract more youngsters to the sport."
Though Singapore and Malaysia feature in the World Cricket League's Division 3, the hosts are the favourites as the sport makes its debut at next year's SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur.
"There is no doubt that Malaysia have become stronger," said Mahmood.
"But if we make adequate preparations from the word go, we can change the situation."
He also said the SCA will work closely with Sport Singapore to ensure that the national team get proper training facilities, after it had to vacate the Kallang cricket ground, the team's main practice centre, in January.
"We will work closely with Sport Singapore to see how it can best accommodate all our requests so that the national team can prepare properly for the vital tournaments ahead of us."
Last night, Singapore Cricket Club's Suresh Kalpathy was also re-elected deputy president, as he prevailed over Mariners CC's Subir Ghatak 13-10.
S. Santhanam (MUCC) and K.P. Baidya (Bengal CC) were returned unopposed as vice-presidents, while former national player Harish Dongre, a member of the Singapore Indian Association (IA), edged out IA's vice-president V.P. Jothi 12-11 to retain his post of honorary secretary.
Singapore Pakistani Association's Jamil Raza Syed defeated incumbent B. Sivasankaran (Ceylon Sports Club) 13-9 to become the new treasurer.
Golden CC's Manesh Muraleedharan was elected the players' representative. He triumphed over Australia and New Zealand Association player Narayanan Muthukaruppan 174-141.
V.K. Santosh Kumar
