Sports
Cricket Federation Puts Women’s Development To Test
The Nigeria Cricket Federation has put together the maiden age-grade international tournament for the Women’s Under-19 national team, the Nigeria-Ghana Under-19 Women Series.
The event is a four-team invitational event that kicked off on Sunday, September 8, 2024, at the University of Lagos Cricket Oval. It parades Ghana’s Under 19 National Team, the South-West female team, a selected national Women’s team, and Nigeria’s Under 19 Women’s Team.
According to the President of the Nigeria Cricket Federation, Uyi Akpata, the event is meant to test the Federation’s development effort for Women’s Cricket.
“Apart from getting the Women’s Under 19 team in shape for the Division One World Cup Qualifier starting September 22nd in Kigali, this event allows us to test the depth of our Women’s development. For the first time, we are parading three teams of national team quality and invited Ghana’s Under 19 Women to join.”
Akpata said that the strategic objective of the Federation is to attain gender equality in its developmental effort.
“We have had our school outreaches focused a bit more on girl-child initiatives and it has been yielding results. The impact is beginning to resonate for the country already.” He added.
The Female National Team put up a podium performance at the African Games in Accra earlier in March ahead of the Male team with a Bronze medal, justifying the investment in female Cricket development in the country.
“We now have a female Cricket League run in the South-South, with eight teams taking part and a fully functional Cricket facility inside an all-girl Iyoba College in Benin City, Edo State.” He added.
The ongoing Nigeria-Ghana Under 19 Women Series complements these initiatives and also helps the national Under 19 Women’s team shape up for the World Cup Qualifier that is scheduled for September 22nd to 29th at the Gahanga Cricket Stadium in Kigali, Rwanda.
Nigeria has been drawn in Group B of the eight-team series that parades Zimbabwe, Tanzania, and Malawi. Group A has Rwanda, Namibia, Uganda, and Kenya.
“Development is an ongoing process, carefully curating the process that produces and hones our players’ skill is key for us. Of course, we are looking forward to picking the World Cup ticket, but it will be better if we keep refining the process that produces and makes our players better.”
Sports
NSC Hails Nigerian Badminton Team as Eniola Bolaji Strikes Gold, Men’s Doubles Team Secures Bronze in Spanish International Tourney
Joel Ajayi
The National Sports Commission (NSC) has applauded the Nigerian contingent at the 2025 Spanish Parabadminton International, after another impressive outing that saw the team secure a gold and a bronze medal in Toledo, Spain, on Sunday.
Paralympic medallist Eniola Bolaji continued her dominance, winning her second gold medal in two weeks with a commanding 2-0 (21-7, 21-10) victory over Turkey’s Halime Yildiz in the women’s SL3 final. Bolaji had won gold a week earlier at the Spanish International in Victoria, Spain.
In the men’s SL4 doubles event, Nnana Jeremiah and Eze Chukwuebuka delivered a strong performance, battling their way to a well-deserved bronze medal.
NSC Chairman, Mallam Shehu Dikko, commended the athletes for making Nigeria proud and praised the Badminton Federation of Nigeria, led by Francis Orbih, for ensuring the team’s optimal performance on the international stage.
“These athletes have once again showcased the resilience and talent that define Nigerian sports. Their success is a lucid indication of their hard work and the strategic leadership we demand from the Badminton Federation and other sports federations. We are proud of them and remain committed to supporting their journey to greater heights,” Dikko said.
Director General of the NSC, Hon. Bukola Olopade, emphasized that the achievements align with President Bola Tinubu’s vision of strengthening grassroots sports while ensuring Nigeria competes favorably on the global stage.
“As part of our mandate under President Tinubu’s administration, we are committed to developing talent from the grassroots and supporting our elite athletes to bring home international laurels. The NSC will continue to back the strategic vision of sports federations as we work towards building a strong and sustainable sports ecosystem,” Olopade stated.
Since the National Sports Commission leadership took office, Nigerian contingents have continued to impress internationally including international successes in cricket and basketball recorded thus far. The NSC leadership stated that no stone will be left unturned until Nigerian sports reaches its full potentials.
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