WEALTHY benefactors in sport are nothing new ? but young cricketers in Hatherleigh are being sponsored by a millionaire businessman in Yorkshire thanks to a schooldays connection. Paul Cooper, from Inwardleigh, is involved with the Hatherleigh Under 11 cricket team (right), who finished runners-up in the Devon League this summer. Paul was contacted by an old friend recently who was hoping to organise a school reunion for former pupils of his school in Doncaster. Paul takes up the story: ?I asked him about an old friend of ours, Javed, a Pakistani boy, and he told me he was now a multi-millionaire.? After leaving school, Javed Ahmed built up a successful hotel business, and now owns several hotels around the world, including the luxurious four-star Tall Trees Hotel in Yarm, in North Yorkshire. Paul said: ?A couple of months ago, I went up to meet Javed. We hadn?t see each other for 40 years so it was great to see him again. ?We used to play cricket together when we were at school, so I asked him if he had much time for cricket these days, and he said because of the business he didn?t,? said Paul. ?I asked him if he would consider sponsoring Hatherleigh Under 11s team and he said he would be delighted to.? Paul said he had a cricket shirt made up with his old friend?s name on it which he has given to Javed.
