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NCF Unveils Asanka Gurusinha As New Nigeria Cricket Team Coach

Published

4 years ago

December 8, 2020

The Gleamer

…Coming of Asanka is a win, win for Nigeria-

…As new vows to make Nigeria Cricket best in Africa

Joel Ajayi

The Nigeria Cricket Federation on Tuesday officially unveiled the former Sri Lankan Australian Cricketer Asanka Gurusinha as a new foreign coach to bring about more growth and development to the game of cricket in the country.

Nigeria’s Yellow Greens coach is expected to head the high-performance unit of the Federation and also act as a coach trainer and mentor to our indigenous coaches.

Sri Lanka born, a specialist left-handed batsman was hired and has since resuming December 1st of 2020 was presented to the stakeholders, players, fans, and the general public in an epic ceremony inside the VIP Lounge, Moshood Abiola Stadium Package A, in Abuja.

NCF believed that the coming of the 54 years old coach would lead to more sustained growth and development of the sport in the country.

While speaking the minister of youth and sports development Sunday Dare who was represented by the ministry Deputy Director, Federations and Elite Athletes Department (FEAD) Mrs. Maria Worphil stated that the game of cricket will get ministry needed support that would take the game to the next level in the country and beyond.

According to him, it is great to have an experienced expatriate as our national cricket team coach.

“The coach and the federation should focus on grassroots development so that we can have good feeder teams for our national teams.”

Minister, therefore, called on all stakeholders to support the new coach, as Nigeria has abundant talents who could excel in cricket with early training and exposure.

Speaking shortly after the unveiling of the President of the Federation, Professor Yahaya Ukwenya, said the hiring of Gurusinha was very deliberate and is a key agenda of the NCF’s five strategic imperatives.

“We have been promoting the game at all levels, upgrading infrastructures, engaging strategic partnership, improving the quality of players and officials, and maintaining appropriate governance and finance structures as our key goals for this administration.

“The hiring of the Head Coach is paramount to achieving at least two of those.

“We have five facilities that we are also upgrading side-by-side to international standard including the one that would be used for the National Sports Festival in Benin.

He said all the achievements, both off and on the field of play, are expected to rise on the heels of the expertise and professionalism that the new head coach would bring to Nigerian Cricket.

Gurusinha’s appointment as Nigeria’s Head Coach and High-Performance Manager trended among the global Cricket Community because of the increasing pedigree of Nigeria in the game and Asanka’s high profile as a top developmental coach in the game.

Speaking also the newly appointed coach Gurusinha promised to leave no stone unturned to ensure the game of cricket grows more in Nigeria.

He said: “I am very excited, but I know it’s a very big challenge because I did a lot of research I spoke to ICC on how Nigeria cricket development and people of Nigeria all those information helped me to make a decision.

“And my first role will be the AFCON in March April and some ICC qualifier, we are going to build a second solid team.

“My personal target is to see my player I have not seen them after which I plan to make them number one in Africa though, South Africa is one of the best teams on the continent.

“No doubt, under-19 play in the world cup has helped Nigeria, I am going to see the young guy in action and promoting young people”

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Nigeria Will Take Good Shape In No Distant Time- Olawande

Published

5 hours ago

September 16, 2024

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

The Minister of State for Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande has urged the citizens of the country to be patient with the Administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in transforming the lives of its citizens through various policies and programs of the federal government.

The Minister made this submission while delivering his speech at the Joint Union Negotiating Council’s week of the Federal Ministry of Youth Development branch. This is the first edition since both Ministries of Youth and Sports had been damaged. The JUNC week which was held at Atiku Hall, Office of Head of Civil Service of the Federation in Abuja had its theme: “The working people in a volatile, uncertain, and complex economy”

In the words of the Honourable Minister: “I urge you to be patient with this administration. In no distant time, the country will take good shape and the lives of its citizens will be transformed”.

“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is not a pauper, he is an acknowledged epitome of wealth, and so it cannot be said of him that he desires to loot the treasury of Nigeria. He has seen money and as a result of this, he is not interested in looting the nation’s treasury”, Olawande explained.

He emphasized that “leadership is all about being committed to serve. If you are a Minister now, tomorrow you will be addressed as a former Minister, likewise a Director because there is no permanent position but the impact that you made while in that office will speak after you”, the Minister reiterated.

Olawande expressed his gratitude to the workers of the Ministry for being supportive of the government policies and programs. He promised that the welfare of the staff would not be compromised, adding that workers deserve remuneration for being hardworking.

Earlier in his address, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mr. Olubunmi Olusanya admonished the staff of the Ministry to put in their best as “Performance Management System” which replaces APER is the criteria to be used for promotion effective next year. This, according to him is because the Performance Management System (PMS) records the best efforts and input of each staff which will in turn be used to grade such staff.

Olusanya who disclosed that the welfare of the staff is his priority as workers deserve the best for the services rendered. He opined that “the hungry man is angry and as a worker, if you are not treated fairly and properly, it is impossible to get the best out of you. As a result, all staff will be treated properly as motivation to propel the best in you”, he concluded.

The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Esther Didi Walson-Jack, OON, MNI, in her address, informed that the activity to reinvigorate the Civil Service in a bid to ensure that Civil Servants carry out their duties with much diligence to have efficient and incorruptible civil service is currently on course. She advised workers to wake up and be committed to the service of the nation.

In his closing remarks, Mr. Jerry Akume, the General Secretary of the Union expressed his delight in celebrating this year’s edition of the Union week, while highlighting the achievements of the union so far. These include:

Upward review of staff welfare, prompt payment of repatriation allowances, payment of first 28 days allowance, assistance to the sick, general training of staff, and sending forth/retirement package for retired staff.

He also appealed to the Management of the Ministry, saying that irrespective of the aforementioned achievements, a lot still needs to be done in such areas as procurement of staff buses, upward review of welfare payment for festive periods, consistent general staff training, and procurement of office and work materials.

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