Forty teams will take part in the 8th edition of the President’s Cup set to begin on January 10, Abu Dhabi Cricket Council (ADCC) announced on Sunday.

The forty teams will battle it out in eight groups of five in Twenty20 format with the top two sides from each section qualifying for the knockout stages.

The matches will be played on Fridays on domestic grounds in Abu Dhabi with 14 matches taking place each day. Games will be played at 08.00 and 13.30.

The competition will have a total of 95 matches which includes the knockout stages and culminates in the final at the end of March. There is everything to play for in this exciting tournament with cash prizes available for individuals and teams.

The winning team will pick up a cheque for Dh7,500, while the runner-up will go home richer by Dh5,000. In the quarter-final and semi-final games, the man of the match will win Dh100.

Whoever is awarded the accolade in the final will pick up a prize of Dh300 plus a trophy.

On top of the man of the match awards, the person who claims the tournament’s best player prize will bag Dh500, while the best batsman and bowler will receive Dh300, respectively.

As well as the cash prizes, a special trophy will also be given out to the team deemed to have best upheld the ‘spirit of the game’. This special trophy will be decided by a core committee of the Council Umpires.

With this tournament being the 8th edition, the competition is a long-term objective of trying to promote the sport in the country.

It also acts as a fun and engaging way for different communities to play sport as well as staying fit. ADCC has played a significant role in raising the profile of cricket in UAE.

Around 500 amateur games have been played at ADCC Grounds and the Zayed Cricket Stadium, which recently hosted the first Test between Pakistan and Sri Lanka.