IN 2015, 2017 and 2019, the tournaments were branded Toronto
Cups and organised by the Ontario Masters Softball Cricket Clubs
(OMSCC). Come September 2, 3 and 4 this year, there will be a
change in the organisers while the tournament will also undergo a
name change.
The three-day international softball extravaganza, which is expected
to have participating teams from Guyana, New York, Florida, Orlando
and hosts Canada, will see the newly formed Ontario Twilight Softball
Cricket League (OTSCL), headed by past OMSCC president Azeem
Khan, playing hosts this time around and the tournament being
rebranded Canada Cup 1.
This year will also see the addition of a new category as the organizers
have added a round-arm version in addition to the previous All Stars
Open, Masters Over-40 and Legends Over-50.
With round-arm predominantly being played in the West End, all the
preliminary round matches in that category are set to be contested
at venues there. However, the two finalists will join the six coming
out from the other divisions, which will be played at venues across
Scarborough, for the four finals which will be played at the Ellesmere
ground on Sunday, September 4.
The organisers are aiming for a total of 30 teams with eight each in the
All Stars Open, Masters Over-40, Round-arm and six in the Legends
Over-50 with teams being accepted on a first-come basis. An exhibition
Over-60 game is also planned for the day of the finals.
According to the organising committee, the objective is to ensure that
Canada Cup 1 is a memorable and special event for all, especially for
the out-of-country teams while maintaining the image of “we look
forward to playing in Canada anytime.”
The weekend tournament will start off with
an Opening Night reception at Tropical Nights
Restaurant, Morningside Avenue, Toronto on
Thursday, September 1 for participating teams while
the finals on Sunday, followed by a presentation
ceremony.
The previous finals were staged at the University
of Toronto ground, Scarborough but according to
the organizers, the venue is unavailable that holiday
weekend. Nevertheless, OTSCL President Khan is
confident that the Ellesmere facility will be ideal this
time around. He also pointed out that the OTSCL is
in the process of working out parking arrangements
with the relevant authorities to ensure there’s no
bottlenecks for the hundreds expected to throng
the venue.
Teams desirous of participating have been given
until July 11 to enter their teams in the respective
divisions.
The 2019 All Stars Open winners were Softball
Cricket Canada who won from the Ontario Softball
Cricket League X1 while Our Own, after winning
the inaugural Masters Over-40 in 2015 and failing
to defend their crown in 2017, bounced back to lift
the title in 2019. They have since been disbanded.
The Over-50 final saw Toronto Blizzards defeating
New York Hustlers by 37 runs following a brilliant
76 from opener and man-of-the-match Jaimini
Singh, a former Guyana National player.
Three-Day Canada Cup Softball Set For Labour Day Weekend!
