Sports Hero

 

Mr Tabarak Dar

Operations Manager of the Little Sai Wan Cricket Club

“Remain a passionate learner to get ready anytime and anywhere in anticipation of opportunities.”

The above is Mr Tabarak Dar’s lifelong motto. Upon moving from Pakistan to Hong Kong, Tabarak developed his hobby into a career to pass on his knowledge. At each stage of his life, Tabarak persists in learning seriously and proactively, in an effort to seize opportunities. He strives for excellence regardless of roles, be it a cricket player in the past or the Operations Manager of the Little Sai Wan Cricket Club now. With a strong sense of mission, Tabarak has sustained his passion for cricket over the years.

Born in Pakistan, Tabarak was very energetic when he was small. He started playing cricket as young as 8 years old. He played cricket, a hugely popular sport among the populace, with his family and friends every day, and cricket has gradually served as a bond connecting himself and others over time. Tabarak has revealed his talent in sports since secondary school years. He joined various sports teams at school, but the cricket coach appointed him to be the team captain. Unhesitant to accept his appointment, he promised to lead his teammates to excel themselves. Since then, he has focused on playing cricket, which ushered him to a wonderful life.

Seize opportunities to pursue his dreams persistently and to lead the Hong Kong Team to the top spot for the first time

Tabarak later moved to Hong Kong with his parents. Once settling down, he looked around for cricket organisations in Hong Kong in his continued pursuit of dream. Tabarak joined a local club, the Little Sai Wan Cricket Club, when he was 17. Back then, the Club was facing a drain of players. Seeing this as an opportunity, he stayed there to gain more experience by playing many games for the Club. He was eventually appointed to be the captain, leading his Club to climb out of the trough. After a few years of hard work and teamwork, Tabarak led a team of young cohorts to defeat several formidable opponents in the Sunday Cup Championship 2000-2001, winning the first championship in the Club’s 17-year history. Since then, Tabarak has served as the captain of the club for a decade, a record still unbroken for the Club.

In 1998, Tabarak was selected to join the Hong Kong Cricket Team at the age of just 22. He was later appointed to be the captain. Having led the Team for five years, he won the ACC Elite Trophy with his teammates for the first time in 2008, bringing glory to the Hong Kong Cricket Team. Since then, the trophy has boosted morale of the Team, and the players have gone from strength to strength. The Hong Kong Team has actively participated in major international events, climbing higher in the regional rankings with its stellar performance. The Team would not have been so successful without Tabarak’s contributions and leadership as the captain.

Take a step back to nurture talents

Tabarak retired in 2011 after 13 years in the Hong Kong Team. Determined to turn a new page in life, Tabarak aspired to help promote the cricket development in Hong Kong in other capacities and positions. He is currently a Level 3 Cricket Coach, a Level 2 Cricket Coaching Educator, an International Umpire recognised by the International Cricket Council, as well as the Operations Manager of the Little Sai Wan Cricket Club. He looks forward to continuing to make contributions to cricket in different positions.

At present, the Hong Kong Cricket Team ranks 23rd in the world. While Tabarak is pleased to see that cricket has gained popularity in Hong Kong over the years, there is no point for him to rest on laurels. He believes there are always room for cricket to go farther in Hong Kong, and the Hong Kong Team has the potential to reach the apogee one day. Well aware of the younger generation being the hope of the future, he and the Little Sai Wan Cricket Club have focused on organising various training programmes, interest classes, fun days, etc. for grass roots and schools, in an effort to attract more young players. In addition, the Club provides equipment and subsidies for any young players facing financial difficulties, enabling them to fully tap potential. On another front, the Club frequently organises competitions of varying sizes, with a view to maintaining amicable relationships among clubs, while enhancing the overall competitiveness of the entire league.

Cricket has been hit hard by the ebb and flow of the COVID-19 pandemic in recent months. That said, Tabarak actively promoted cricket by means of online platforms while the Club produced various interesting and practical short videos on a regular basis, in a bid to help members of the public and players sustain passion about cricket amid the pandemic. Quoting his own motto, Tabarak encourages Hong Kong people to continue promoting cricket in building a bright future. He hopes that all will persevere through the pandemic by learning hard and will work together to scale a new height afterwards.