By Victor Kanayo
Nigeria has been awarded the International Cricket Council best Global Impact rating award for the tremendous achievement of the Nigeria Cricket Federation (NCF) in using sports to promote youth and social development.
This was contained in a message delivered to the Minister of Youth and Sport Development, Sunday Dare, when top officials of the International Cricket Council (ICC) visited him in his office in Abuja.
The visit was also ahead of ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup Africa Division 2 qualifiers to be hosted at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja from Friday, September 30, 2022.
ICC Global Development Manager William Glenwright and Patricia Karambami, head of Africa Development, were led by the President of NCF, Uyi Akpata, on the visit.
Elated by the recognition of the strides made by the ICC, the Minister appreciated them for their support.
He said, “As a government, we are thankful to the ICC for the recognition and for granting Nigeria the rights to host the U19 World Cup Qualifiers.”
Glenwright, who had visited cricket facilities in Lagos and Edo States before the visit to the Honourable Minister said: “The ICC is pleased with Nigeria and wants to commend the sports authorities for these achievements. Surely, Nigeria has now opened itself up for more support from the ICC for the expansion of the sport in Nigeria.
“Nigeria’s rising profile in cricket has been amazing. The progress made by the sport in Nigeria needs to be studied and the template adopted for some other countries.
“How Nigeria moved from the almost zero awareness and low commitment to the sport a few years ago to being a force and a country that is now qualifying for the World Cup is remarkable.”
Nigeria Cricket Federation President, Uyi Akpata at the meeting informed that his team had set the ambitious goal of cricket recruitment of 250, 000 kids which is being met through strategic implementation and the enabling environment that the ministry had encouraged.
Nigeria and and seven other countries are participating in the World Cup qualifiers.
The other participants, already in Abuja are Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Malawi, Mozambique, Botswana, Ghana and Kenya.
