Sports
Nigeria beats Botswana, Lifts WCQ Trophy in Abuja
Joel Ajayi
Nigeria Men’s cricket team have emerged the winner of the International Cricket Council T20 World Cup Sub Regional Africa Qualifier C concluded at the cricket oval of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja on Thursday November 28, 2024.
Nigeria beat Botswana by 77 runs to seal their unbeaten run in the five match World Cup Qualifier.
The Director General of the Nigeria Sports Commission, Bukola Olopade, at the event said the victory is a perfect ending to a brilliant showing of all the team at Nigeria Cricket Federation led by Uyi Akpata.
He said, “I am very impressed at the level of professionalism displayed and this is what we encourage as a Commission. Nigeria didn’t just qualify and win the event, the team that staged this event has shown leadership and professionalism and we are proud of them.”
Olopade said the cricket has consistently shown potential for social development.
“We must commend the leadership of Nigeria Cricket Federation. Our Under girls would be at the Cricket World Cup in Malaysia in January, and now our boys are through to the last stage of the 2025 T20 Men’s World Cup. They deserve all the support we can give them. And as a commission we are determined to give support to other sports other than the popular ones,” the NSC DG said.
President of the Nigeria Cricket Federation, Uyi Akpata, said that hosting these African countries in Abuja during the series has thrown up Nigeria as cricket destination beside investment in talent development.
“We are excited to have hosted these countries; Botswana, Cote D’Ivoire, Eswatini, St. Helena and Sierra Leone. I believe the quality of our grounds and our organization clearly have communicated our readiness to host more top class cricket events,” Akpata said.
In the match against Nigeria and Botswana, Nigeria won the toss and elected to bat first, and set 13.00 in the first over to signal a high scorning inning. Tharindu Perera, stepped up got the wicket of opener Selim Salau 1(4) with the last ball of the second over douse the two quick overs.
Isaac Danladi came on and paired Sulaimon Runsewe to a partnership of 140. Danladi’s brilliant knock of 80 off 45 along with Runsewe’s 74 off 53 kept Nigeria in contention and sent pressure to the Baggy Blues of Botswana.
The Yellow-Green did not to sweat much as the 181/5 score simply put the game beyond the visitors, they were all out for 104 in 18.2 overs. Nigeria won by 77 runs.
In earlier matches St. Helena beat Cote D’Ivoire by 10 wickets to seal the 5th spot on the log while Sierrai Leon ran through Eswatini in 12.3 overs winning with 109 runs.
Nigeria and Botswana are now to meet successful teams from the earlier qualifiers (Tanzania, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Kenya) and Africa’s representatives at the 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup who are drawn bye (Namibia and Uganda) and will jostle for Africa two spots at the Men’s T20 World Cup in 2025.
Sports
A Triumphant Close to the 22nd National Sports Festival
…As organisers promise another spectacle at closing ceremony on Thursday
Joel Ajayi
After 11 days of a true showcase of sporting competition in multiple Sports by some of the country’s top and even promising athletes, the curtain will finally be drawn on what many have described as one of the best ever organised National Sports festivals, when the closing ceremony is held on Thursday at the MKO Sports Arena in Abeokuta.
Whilst the quality of the Games’ opening ceremony is still getting tongues wagging, the entire sporting family and beyond is now anxiously looking forward to what the closing ceremony will look like.
The last 11 days have showcased Ogun state as a true Sporting hub with potential to even do more, with the quality of the facilities built for the games and the enthusiasm of the people who made the various venues their second home in the last few days.
A big testament to this was the history-making crowd that attended the male football final between Ogun state and Kwara State, which the host won by 4-1.
The MKO stadium was filled to full capacity while the crowd outside watching from the big screen reminds one of how much Sports is truly the soul of our togetherness as a country.
From the Alake Sports centre in Ijeja and the Baptist boys high school, to the Obafemi Awolowo square and the Remo stadium both in Ikenne, to the NYSC orientation camp in Shagamu, and the Ilisan town hall in Ilisan, the festival never lacked spectatorship throughout the games.
The Games actually lived up to the pre-tournament hype as both the National Sports Commission, NSC and the Ogun state Government pulled out every administrative capacity to ensure both athletes, officials and the media have an unforgettable experience.
The Gateway Games 2024 had been full of exciting drama and intrigues amongst the states and athletes which led to different new records being set and some old records being shattered.
The festival has also produced for the country some new exciting young talents especially with the shocking performance of the 38th state, the Invited Junior Athletes ( IJA), where they ended up winning some surprised medals to justify the Commission’s establishment of the initiative.
As the Closing ceremony holds on Thursday, the leadership of the National Sports commission, NSC, expresses its profound gratitude to the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Ogun State Government for making sure millions of Nigerian youths see a renewed brighter future in the country through the National Sports Festival.
The NSC Chairman Mallam Shehu Dilko said ” our overwhelming gratitude goes to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,GCFR, for his personal commitment to the development of Nigerian Sports by giving us every support financially and otherwise for the success of this festival”.
” And the Ogun state Governor, Dapo Abiodun also deserves a huge praise for the feat we all recorded with these games. I can’t thank him enough and posterity will surely remember him for good “.
The NSC Director General who is also the Chairman of the Main organising committee of the games, Hon Bukola Olopade also extended his gratitude to all the technocrats behind the scene that are responsible for the successful organisation of the games.
” From all the members of the Main organising committee to the various sub committees, to members of the local organising committees and all our technical officials in the various sports to the media and our athletes, every success that everyone is talking about concerning these Games belongs to you all”.
” Yes it was not a perfect festival because we acknowledged we had also some challenges but let me assure everyone that some of the challenges are already being worked upon ahead of the next Games holding in Enugu state next year”, he concluded.
The Closing ceremony is expected to bring together top Government functionaries to captain of industries while there will also be the rich cultural display of the state as Ogun state will officially pass the barton of hosting to Enugu state for the 23rd edition of the Games come September 2026.
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