Sports

Excitement As NCF/PWC U17 Cricket Tournament Kick-Off Wednesday

Published

4 years ago

February 15, 2022

By Joel Ajayi

It’s going to be the battle to finish at the 3rd Edition of the Nigeria Cricket Federation in collaboration with PricewaterhouseCoopers PwC National U-17 Cricket Championship finals as representatives of six geo-political zones will slug it out in a fierce competition.

The final round of the U-17 tourney for boys and girls cricket championship kicks off today Wednesday to Sunday in Abuja.

The games will be played inside the newly built cricket Ovats inside Moshood Abiola National Stadium.

It will be recalled that the preliminary round at the zonal level has been concluded and the selected players from the zones are coming to represent their zones in the final round in Abuja.

Briefing newsmen ahead of the event tagged ‘NCF/PwC Championship’ the Secretary General of Nigeria Cricket Federation, NCF, Mr Taiwo Oris said the championship is targeted at getting more children into the game of cricket and also open up opportunities for more participation.

He commended PricewaterhouseCoopers ,PwC, for bankrolling the Championship, saying the event will serve as gateway into international cricket podium for young talents.

In his address, the representative of PwC, Mr Tolu Adeleke, said the sponsorship is part of their corporate responsibility in empowering youths and taking them off the street.

He said the positive impact and the result of their sponsorship or contribution which is enormous is spurring them to extend the gesture.

While giving an overview of the tournament, the NCF Tournament Manager Bode Musa Ehizoje enumerated positive impacts of the tournament in the last three years as the number of participating states keep increasing.

He expressed that despite the challenges, progress has been made compared to previous editions where limited states participated.

According to him, this year, 31 states for the boys and 25 for the girls participated at the preliminary stage.

Ehizoje assured that the positive impact of the competition promises a better hope for Nigeria’s present and future.

Speaking on the technical aspect of the event, the NCF Technical Director Mr Joseph Eshua said that NCF/PWC U17 Cricket Tournament remains the most junior tournament in the country in the history of cricket.

He said the tournament will equally go a long way to improve the players, coaches and referees.

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Sports

FCT FA Board Member Urges Grassroots Reform, Hopeful For Super Eagles World Cup Qualification

Published

19 hours ago

October 5, 2025

The Gleamer

Legal Practitioner And Administrator Barr Bucknor Threatens To Petition FCT Minister Over Abandoned Stadiums

Despite Nigeria’s precarious position in the race for a spot at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Barrister Babatunde Burknor, a board member of the FCT Football Association (FA), remains hopeful that the Super Eagles can still secure qualification.

Nigeria currently sits third in their qualification group with 11 points from 8 matches, trailing Benin Republic and South Africa, who both lead with 14 points. Yet Burknor, a seasoned football administrator and grassroots sports advocate, believes all is not lost.

In a recent interview made available to BSN Sports, Burknor said: “Nigeria’s qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup may appear almost impossible, but that doesn’t mean it is out of reach. The situation is tough, yes, but looking at the quality of players in our squad, I still believe we can make it.”

He added that unexpected results from other group rivals could work in Nigeria’s favour.

“Football is unpredictable. There is still a chance that South Africa, Benin Republic, or Rwanda could drop points. If we win our remaining two games, we still stand a chance. Sometimes football reflects life where the strong may fall while the seemingly weak stand tall.”

Calls for Grassroots Reform in the FCT

Beyond national team concerns, Burknor also used the opportunity to address the state of sports development in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), urging the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, to take concrete action to revamp local infrastructure.

“We have deep-rooted problems when it comes to grassroots sports. The major issue is a lack of funding and commitment from those charged with driving development at that level,” he said.

Burknor lamented the disappearance of once-thriving youth competitions like the Chairman’s Cup, Principal’s Cup, and Shell Cup, stating that such events played a crucial role in identifying and nurturing young talent.

“It’s disheartening that these programs are no longer active. Development is impossible without facilities, yet we lack even basic training grounds.”

The legal luminary revealed that he personally upgraded the sports facility at a government secondary school in his area to serve as a makeshift training centre, due to the absence of a functioning local stadium.

He is currently drafting a petition to Minister Wike, over abandoned stadiums in FCT, urging a comprehensive audit of officials responsible for sports development across the six Area Councils of the FCT.

Progress in Gwagwalada Football Development

As Vice Chairman of the Gwagwalada Football Council, Burknor highlighted the success of the Gwagwalada Football League, which has become a model for other Area Councils.

“In just two years, we’ve turned the Gwagwalada Football League into a success story. Several players from the league have already secured contracts in Europe. This shows what can be achieved with vision and consistency.”

Barrister Burknor, emphasized that grassroots football holds the key to Nigeria’s long-term football success and must be taken seriously.

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