The Worldwide Cricket Council (ICC) Africa has introduced Nigeria because the regional winner of the Cricket Initiative of the 12 months 2023.
The PwC Beneath-17 Cricket Championship, which has been the rallying level for Nigeria’s developmental initiative, gained the award for the Uyi Akpata-led Nigeria Cricket Federation.
In accordance with the ICC assertion on the undertaking, “The ICC Improvement Initiative of the 12 months award recognises the excellent growth initiative delivered in the course of the 12 months and regional winners embrace Nigeria Cricket Federation, whose Beneath-17 Cricket Championship continues to offer aggressive taking part in alternatives for girls and boys throughout the nation.”
In his response to the award, President of the Nigeria Cricket Federated, Uyi Akpata, stated the Award couldn’t have come at a greater time.
“That is an award that celebrates the ability of collaboration. PwC and several other companions took a bet on us and backed our developmental initiatives. It’s gladdening that, it’s yielding outcomes on a world dimension,” noticed the NCF Chief.
In recent times, Nigeria have been winner of “Cricket 4 Good Social Influence Initiative of the 12 months” for the developmental actions of the federation on the IDP camp in Edo State and the 100% Feminine Cricket Initiative of the 12 months for the huge girl-child enrolment initiative in Zamfara State.
The Nigerian girls’s staff have been on a gradual rise, climbing from thirty ninth on the worldwide rating to twenty sixth in 4 years. This progress culminated within the nation successful the Bronze medal on the African Video games a couple of weeks in the past in Ghana.
“It has been encouraging to know that the ICC has been maintaining tabs and notably recognising the efforts of our staff of passionate cricket growth officers and the Board of the Federation. This can solely spur us to go additional.”
Sam Abu, Nation Senior Companion at PwC Nigeria, sponsors of the U17 Cricket event stated the event confirms the potential they’d seen and the assumption that Cricket can provoke, empower and equip the youths of Nigeria for international impression.
“This international recognition for our joint initiative with the Nigeria Cricket Federation is one we’re pleased with, particularly for the truth that it confirms that the sport has the potential to galvanise, empower and equip the youths for international impression,” he concluded.
Sierra Leone and Namibia are additionally affiliate nations that gained regional honours for the 12 months in evaluate by the Worldwide Cricket Council.