HONG KONG Dragons celebrate their first birthday next month and already the territory's home-grown team have outgrown their brand new cricketing boots. Now they have ambitious plans for the future. For the all-Chinese side are looking seriously at entering next season's Sunday League. They also intend to tour Beijing in September. Both these steps are momentous, considering the Dragons are in the vanguard of a campaign to push the game in the local community. The Sunday League is the premier competition locally and it would be nice to see the Dragons blooded at such a competitive level. Overall, the first year of existence has been encouraging, with a promise that the young Dragons can soon mature into a fiery force. For that to happen, let's hope that on April 29, when the team meets for an end-of-season dinner, the consensus will be: ''Let's go ahead and field a team in the Sunday League next season''. One of the forces behind the Dragons, Bharat Gohel, however sounded a cautionary note. ''The players must give a firm commitment that they will take the Sunday League seriously. I don't want to find ourselves in a position where we have to scratch around trying to find a team the day before a match,'' Dragons' manager Gohel said. The decision to play in the Sunday League will also depend on whether the Dragons are able to recruit Hong Kong-born players like Ravi Sujanani, Riaz Farcy, Justin Strachan - all of whom represented Hong Kong at the ICC Trophy in Kenya in February. ''If we can get these players to join us, we will be a force to reckon with. Along with myself, we will have a nucleus of players, and it will not be entirely a team of learners,'' Gohel added. With around 24 players, Chinese and Eurasian, playing for the Dragons now, Gohel will have a side that would make their presence felt. They will also be easily accommodated with the British Forces pulling out of the League. And with the Hong Kong Cricket Association keen to give support, the Dragons could be the newest team on the scene.
