REPORTER: PEACE AGBO
The fifth edition of the South-East secondary school cricket Championship in collaboration with Abia state government has kicked off in Umuahia the state capital.
Declaring the three day event open at Ibeku High School, the Commissioner for Sports and Youth Development, Mr Nwobilor Ananaba pledged renewed support of the state government to rejuvenate cricket in the state.
The commissioner who was represented by the Special Assistant to the Governor on Sports, Mr Chima Ukwa expressed the government’s resolve to continue evolving programmes and policies that support sports across the board.
In his remarks, the South-East Representative at the Nigeria Federation of Cricket Association of Nigeria, Mr Chika Okoro, commended the Abia Government for showing genuine interest in cricket development and appealed for the establishment of a standard pitch, noting that the sport did not require huge financial investments.
In an interview, a veteran cricketer and former Nigerian national team player, Chris Obasi, thanked the organisers of the event for the revival of the sport in his home state and advised young players to remain committed to the sport, describing cricket as a viable career path.
In separate interviews with some young cricketers Goodluck Agbo of Enugu, Chukwujekwu Nwachukwu of Anambra and 11-year-old Moses Ajagbo from Ebonyi said they put in their best to be part of the championship.
They appealed to the government at all levels to sustain its support for cricket development to enable them to go higher in the career.
