The St Kitts & Nevis Patriots franchise, who play in the Hero Caribbean Premier League, has been purchased by City Sports, Hong Kong – part of the City Group of companies.
Dr Uday Nayak and Kumar flanked by deputy St Kitts & Nevis Prime Minister Shawn Richards and Narnen Kunder at a ceremony to hand over the franchise
City Sports are not new to cricket franchise ownership. They own City Kaitak in the Hong Kong T20 Blitz as well as being the former owners of the Bloem City Blazers, a team who were scheduled to step out in Cricket South Africa’s now defunct Global T20 League.
The company is headed by Sushil Kumar and Naren Kunder who are based in Hong Kong. Kumar has investments in event management, information technology, food and beverage and sports management. Kunder has business interests in the garments industry, stationary and electronics.
The Patriots team has been part of the CPL since 2015, finishing as runners-up in 2017 and in third place in 2018. The current team is led by Chris Gayle who has been at the forefront of the team’s success during his two years as captain.
Chairman of City Sports, Kumar, said: “We at City Sports are elated to be a part of the Hero CPL and having acquired the St Kitts & Nevis franchise we want to become part of the local community through the game of cricket. We want to promote the spirit of true sportsmanship and fair play, while at the same time creating a unique identity through our focus on performance and development.”
“With a total economic impact for the Hero CPL 2018 being in excess of US$127million, we are looking to bring a greater economic impact to St Kitts & Nevis in 2019 and beyond. We are also hoping our investment into the St Kitts & Nevis franchise is a catalyst to further investment into the country and growth of its economy,” Kumar added.
The former owner of the Patriots, Dr Uday Nayak, said: “As a firm believer in St. Kitts & Nevis I will be continuing my investment in Kayanjet, We feel we have taken the Patriots as far as we can, and it is time for us to hand it over to more experienced hands. We are delighted to have found new owners like City Sports who have a history of investing in cricket and want to take the franchise forward. We wish them all the best for the future.”
Pete Russell, Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Hero CPL, said: “We have been delighted with the way that the St Kitts & Nevis Patriots franchise has grown since they first joined the league in 2015 and we are certain that the City Group can take the team forward to even greater success. This investment shows the high regard in which the CPL is held around the world and how the tournament continues to go from strength to strength.
“St Kitts & Nevis has always been a big part of CPL since we first had games there in 2014 and we look forward to that continuing for years to come. We would like to express our thanks to Dr Uday Nayak, Mohammad Ansari and their team for the amazing job they have done with the Patriots over the years.”
