Diadora Jozi Cup 2024: Winters premier cricket carnival is ready

With less than one month to the start of the Diadora Jozi Cup, the tournament organisers are ready, the clubs are ready, and the players are most certainly ready and very excited!

Starting on the first weekend in May, the community-based competition includes over 20 clubs spanning 10 age group categories and over 110 participating teams from U11 right through to over 40’s. The brainchild of Lions Cricket, the Diadora Jozi Cup was developed to foster club cricket which ultimately serves as a continuation of the pipeline feeder system.

Tournament Director Reuben Mandlazi is brimming with excitement and says that the purpose of the tournament is to ensure that club cricket still remains relevant and garners the exposure it deserves;

“Now more than ever, club cricket is vital to make sure that there is continuity for players still wanting to stay in the game and for those equally talented players who have missed out on provincial selections but still have what it takes to make it through via other avenues. Competitive club cricket offers players the opportunity to hone their skills under the guidance and mentorship of more experienced players. The tournament also strives to uphold its founding values of inclusivity, diversity, fairness, equity, and equality no matter religion, race or gender; offering clubs and the entire cricketing eco-system something innovative and exciting to associate with and feel a sense of belonging to. Here, players get be part of the club culture long term, it’s a beautiful thing to witness a father and son playing in the same event, mentored by experienced past and present players.”

The tournament will once again include blind cricket teams, bearing testimony to Lions Cricket’s ambition of being a