Sports
CHUMA Anosike, sponsor of the annual Chuma Anosike South-East Cricket Championships, on Tuesday said the competition had rubbed off on the sport in the zone.
Anosike made the assertion in Lagos at a post-mortem news conference of the 8th edition of the competition which held from April 4 to April 8 in Owerri, Imo.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Enugu, Anambra, Ebonyi, Imo and Abia participated in the championships which began in 2011.
He said that the competition had continued to grow yearly, thereby aiding to cricket’s popularity in the region.
“A few years ago when it became obvious that the sport was not growing at the national level, I decided that a bottom to up approach was necessary to develop cricket.
“I started a programme to develop the game in schools in Anambra which was a success and eventually paved the way for the zonal championships.
“We started with three states initially but presently all the South-East states are involved because we have held the championships in all the five South-East states.
“I am delighted that we have achieved the objective to develop and nurture talents who can go on to play first class cricket and use cricket as a tool for socio-economic development,’’ he said.
Anosike, who is also the Chairman of Anambra Cricket Association, added that the inclusion of the female category in the 8th edition was due to the increased participation of females in the sport.
“We decided to incorporate the female version in the championships and this will be a permanent feature going forward as female participation has grown exponentially over the past five years,’’ he said.
He commended the governments in the zone for supporting the development of sports, urging them to do more in the provision of facilities.
The former vice-president of the Nigeria cricket urged participants to always adhere to the rules guiding the sport.
NAN reports that Enugu defeated Anambra in the final with over 54 runs, while Anambra females lifted the trophy for the female category.
– Apr. 11, 2018 @ 10:00 GMT |
