Sports
Cricket is the Best Run Sport in Nigeria-Akpata
Joel Ajayi
President of the Nigeria Cricket Federation, Uyi Akpata says his sport is the best-run sport in the country.
He made this claim while pitching his Cricket to the private sector at an event in Lagos tagged ‘Cricket meet Corporates’.
“I’d like to say the Nigeria Cricket Federation structure is the best I have seen around, and it is modeled from my experience in the private sector.” The career accountant said.
The meeting was meant for accountability to stakeholders, and to pitch the future of the game to new and potential sponsors. Uyi, told Cricket stakeholders that the three international awards won by the Federation, and a recent visit by the International Cricket Council’s Development Manager, William Glenwright, to understudy Nigeria’s growth plan was no fluke.
“We have some of the most dedicated workforce in sports development and some of the state posts a whooping 25, 000 kids’ in-take into the game annually. We currently do 250, 000 and we have raised the stake to 500, 000 for the coming season”
The PwC National Under-17 Championship has been one of the key events that has driven the grassroots effort of late; as most of the field officers see the platform as a place to showcase their regional engagement efforts.
Akpata said, “In 2023, we had uLesson come on board our youth project, and many more corporates like Accessbank joined our Women’s T20i Invitational that had five countries (Nigeria, Ghana, Rwanda, Cameroon, and Sierra Leone). Eko Disco, Intercontinental Hotel, Sparkle, and Alaro City have also seen value in our projects.”
“In 2024, we are raising the stakes, and as the ICC has also beamed the searchlight on our activities, the 2.5 billion audience of Cricket is ours and our partners to leverage.”
Akpata added that the Nigeria Women’s team, presently ranked 30th in the world, and Men’s 38th standing on the World T20i table respectively adds to Nigeria’s enviable profile as the new year beckons.
“Our male team is presently in Zimbabwe, heading to Namibia next week to begin a historic chase for the 2024 World Cup ticket, and the ladies will do the same in a few weeks in December.”
He said the West Africa Under 15 Championship, The 2024 Women’s T20i Invitational in March, Men’s T20i Invitational, The Nigeria Super League, National championships, Secondary School Challenge Cup, and The Nigeria Universities Cricket League are some of the projects that the Federation will onboard next year.
Among notable corporate bodies that attended the function are UPDC, Olam, Card Center, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), Infinity Snacks and Chams, to mention a few.
“We are very focused and value-driven and will be looking forward to working with several brands on these.” He concluded.
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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