NIGERIA CRICKET FEDERATION RECIEVES DONATED STARTER EQUIPMENT FROM BANKSTOWN COMMUNITY IN AUSTRALIA

The Nigeria Cricket Federation have received and taken stock of the donated starter training kits for Kids from Bankstown community in Australia. The equipment covers plastics bats, wickets, cones, shirts and many more.

One of the five key pillars of development embarked upon by the present board of the NCF is “Promoting the game of Cricket at all levels (Male & female) through grassroots development in the six geo-political zones”.

This donation comes on the wake of the Accelerated Growth Program by the Federation which looks to introduce 200,000 new kids into the sport per year across the 6 geo political zones in the country. Over the last 3 years, strides of the present administration have seen the overall growth and development of the sport in the country.

Receiving the donations on behalf of the Federation, The president of the NCF Prof. Yahaya Adam Ukwenya expressed delight in the gesture by the Bankstown Community in Australia, while acknowledging the positive effect this equipment will have in kick starting the Accelerated growth Program intended by the Federation. “This equipment will boost and support the entry level program which will take care of the enrolment and participation of school children in cricket, so we are very grateful to Bankstown Community, Cricket Australia and the ICC for midwifing this donation.

The president also proposed that the accelerated growth program hopefully will kick off when the schools open, citing that it is quite a large program which will involve both primary and secondary school children. “We have done school mapping across the country and already employed staff that will run the accelerated growth program. In addition to this equipment, we have 2000 pieces of starter equipment that is currently being shipped to Nigeria, the President concluded.

Also present at the event was the New National Team coach Asanka Gurusinha, who stressed the importance of the timing of the equipment as grassroots development is the bedrock to ensure the growth and development of the sport in Nigeria. Asanka also shed light on his time with the National team thus far, highlighting the National Under-17 championship, National Sports Festival and the Africa Cup in March as his immediate focus.