Sports
6th Edition of National Under 17 Cricket Championship Powered By PwC Set to Begin With Zonal Qualification Across Nigeria
Joel Ajayi
Still basking if the euphoria from the exploits by the Nigeria female under-19 team at the ICC Under-19 female T20 world cup in Malaysia, the country is set to host the 6th edition of the National Under 17 Cricket Championship for boys and girls with qualification series across the 6 geo-political zone in the country.
Over the years, the competition have grown to become the biggest age grade tournament in Nigeria and West Africa, providing the right pathway for the next generation of superstars to wear the prestigious ‘Green and Yellow” kits of Nigeria. The last five editions have witnessed a significant expansion in the number of participating states. The first edition had 19 states participating in the boys category and 15 states in the girls category with an small increase in 2021 after the Covid-19 pandemic where 21 states and 17 states participated in the boys and girls category respectively.
As the tournament became more popular, 2022 witnessed a significant increase in participation where 25 states featured in the boys category and 21 states in the girls category. In 2023 and 2024, the numbers continued to increase with a staggering representation of 33 states participating in the boys category and 29 states in the girls category during the 5th edition in 2024, making a total of 3,290 player participants and 928 coaches representation in this tournament with over 450 officiating jobs carried out in the last 5 editions.
The 6th edition is looking to set a new record of participation with Yobe, Adamawa and Bauchi from the North East all making their appearance for the first time, while in the North central, Benue State finally breaking their barren years of involvement in Cricket by featuring a boys team in the North Central zonal qualifier.
North Central qualifier will take place in the FCT, Abuja while North West and North East will take place in Kaduna and Borno State respectively. The South-South qualifier will take place in Asaba, Delta State, Ebonyi State will host the South East while Lagos State will host the South West states.
The date for the zonal qualification are scheduled as follows,
*North Central: 8- 12th February**North East: 8- 12th February**North West : 8- 12th February**South-South: 6 – 10th February**South East: 7 – 11th February**South West: 6 – 10 th February
All dates include Arrival and Departure .
The National final is scheduled to take place in Abuja from 18th to 23rd of February 2025. For more information and inquiries, contact the tournament coordinator *(08055839884)*.
Sports
From Streets to Stardom: Unique Futbol Academy Scouting Program Inspires Ibadan’s Young Footballers
Ibadan is buzzing with excitement as the Unique Football Academy Scouting Program kicks off, bringing together top European football clubs and talented young Nigerian players.
The four-day program, which commenced on Monday, features a delegation of four directors from prominent European teams, including two from Kosovo and one from India, led by renowned football agent Diego Martins from Portugal.
The scouting program aims to identify and select outstanding players who will be given opportunities to showcase their skills in Europe.
Successful players will be offered the chance to take their careers to the next level, with the organizers assuring them of opportunities abroad.
According to the Director of the program and founder of Unique Football Academy, Mr. Jelil Oladimeji, this is not the first time the academy has organized such an event.
“This is the 4th edition, and we are proud of the progress and impact we have made so far in terms of exposing our raw talent to the European market,” he said.
The program has already proven successful, with several players from previous editions going on to excel in European leagues. Some notable examples include Haruna Saleh with PAOK in Greece and Praisegod Emersons in Slovakia.
As the program continues, clubs are gearing up to exhibit their talents, and the future looks bright for Nigeria’s young football stars.
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