ICC Chairman Shah 'honoured' to represent cricket in Munich, meets UEFA President ahead of CL final

New Delhi, May 31 (IANS) Jay Shah, the Chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC), said he was honoured to represent the cricketing ecosystem in Munich, where he also met UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin.

Shah’s meeting with Ceferin comes before the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League final which will be played between Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and three-time champions Inter Milan at the 75,000-seater Allianz Arena in Munich.

“Honoured to represent cricket in Munich ahead of the @championsleague Final and have discussions with UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin. It's always valuable to spend time with other sporting leaders as the @ICC expands our sport's global reach,” wrote Shah on his ‘X’ account on Saturday.

Since Shah began his tenure as ICC Chairman in December last year, he has been undertaking visits to expand and open up new markets for cricket. Shortly after taking charge as ICC’s youngest chairman, Shah met with top officials of the 2032 Brisbane Olympics and Paralympics organising committees and also met outgoing IOC President Thomas Bach in January 2025.

Shah, the former BCCI Secretary, had previously played a big role in the campaign for cricket to be included in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. In March, Shah also congratulated Kirsty Coventry, who is all set to succeed Bach as IOC President from June 23 and is the first female to hold the top position.

Shah also met Kirsty when the former Zimbabwe swimmer, who won seven medals in the Olympics, attended the ICC Champions Trophy semi-final match between India and Australia in Dubai on March 4.

Coming to the UEFA Champions Trophy final, PSG will be featuring in their second title clash of Europe’s top football league after having previously lost to German club Bayern Munich in 2020. On the other hand, Inter will be aiming for their fourth Champions League title, looking to build on a stunning campaign filled with stellar performances, particularly their dramatic semi-final against Barcelona.

It will also be the first time a German venue is hosting the Champions League final since 2012.

--IANS

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