Sports
NCF Launches Accelerated Growth Program For 200,000 NewKids In Nigeria
Joel Ajayi
As part of its ongoing effort to ensure the growth of Cricket sport in the country, the Nigeria cricket federation on Thursday successfully launched Accelerated Growth Program that will help over 200,000 new kids into sport annually.
The Accelerated Growth Program is a grassroots initiative by the Nigeria Cricket Federation that seeks to introduce around 200,000 new kids into the sports annually.
Also, the 36 states of the Federation including the FCT will benefit from the program as field officers have been employed to run the program beginning with states that are least developed in Cricket.
Speaking at official launching in Abuja the Chairman, Caretaker Committee of the Federation Prof. Yahaya Ukwenya expressed delight for the program which is one of the key 5 imperatives of the development plan engaged upon by the Federation.
According to him, the aim of the program is to accelerate the growth of Cricket in Nigeria at a faster pace than it has been done in the past and also taking into context the population of the country.
“The purpose is to see more children get into the sport, in so doing; they will imbibe some of the principles of the game which you can also call Spirit of Cricket which i believe is good for their development. It is important to understand that a child actively involved in sports is not likely to get into anti-social and criminal activities.” He said.
However, a total of 14 schools (Private and Government) in Abuja and Niger State participated in the Launch with a total of 155 students registered both boys and girls. Plastic starter pack equipment was delivered to the schools present with that exercise expected to be replicated across the country.
It will be recall that the Federation procured over 1,000 sets of beginners’ equipment during the first quarter of the year to aid this program. A new technology called the Geographic Information System (GIS) will also be deployed by the field officers to provide real time information that will enable the Federation track the spread and use of the equipment across the country.
Representing the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, Mr. Ademu Ajayi, Deputy Director in the Federation Elite Athletes Department (FEAD) of the Ministry, heaped praised on the Federation for their continuous desire to develop the game in the country, recognizing Cricket as the best in development and administration among other sports in the Ministry.
He further pledged on behalf of the Ministry that Cricket will continue to enjoy the support of the Mother body for all her activities.
The final activity of the Launching ceremony was the demonstration of the basic Batting, Bowling and Fielding techniques demonstrated to the students by the National Women’s Team
Sports
Nigeria Flag National Team heads for historic African Championship in Egypt
….Unveils its competition apparel to the National Sports Commission
Joel Ajayi
The Nigerian American Football Association ( NAFA ) has unveiled its competition apparel to the National Sports Commission, NSC, as it gets set to depart for the inaugural IFAF Africa Flag Football continental Games in Egypt billed for the 20-21 of June 2025.
In a brief but significant ceremony, the President of NAFA, Babajide Akeredolu, unveiled the jerseys the team will be using in Egypt to the Director General of the NSC, Hon Bukola Olopade on Tuesday, as the DG charged the team to do the country proud and return with flying colours.
“On this trip to Egypt I wish you guys well and I am more encouraged that you guys are very confident that our women team will win Gold. I am also very fascinated that you are taking U13 to this tournament.It’s inline with the Commission’s renewed hope vision to also start building for the future”.
“I must also thank you and your team for the kind of aggressive publicity and glamour you are creating around flag football in Nigeria and I believe there is a realistic possibility of a synergy being created that will glue NAFA and Showtimes together in order to have a robust league round the country.If this can eventually happen and you guys come together, this Sport will take Nigeria by storm, I have no doubt”, he concluded.
President and founder of NAFA, Babajide Akeredolu explained the significance of the tournament and the readiness of the Nigerian team to make history in Egypt.
” Since flag Sports became an Olympic Sport, there was a strong push to have a continental games so that Africa is better represented on the global stage.All African countries then came together with interface with the global body and now we have our first African games”.
” We came here to unveil our jersey to the DG and tell him that we are fielding three teams for the competition- the main team which has been in camp for two months now, a female team and an U13 team”.
He added that ” We are quite optimistic and we believe that with the support and activities of many leagues in Nigeria like the Abuja Flag football league, the showtime, the Community flag football league and the Ogun flag football league, we have a lot of players that can give us a formidable National team”.
Nigeria is billed to compete alongside traditional Sporting countries like Morocco,Tunisia, South Africa, Senegal, Ghana Uganda and host country Egypt, when the tournament holds this weekend.
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