Three members of the record-making Nigerian U-19 female cricket team were recently hosted by the staff and students of their secondary schools(C.S.C.S and Iyoba College) in Uyo and Benin City.
Deborah Bassey and Inyene Umoh received a rousing crowd of fellow students of Community Secondary Commercial School (C.S.C.S.) Ibiaku Itam in Uyo.
Deborah Bassey and Inyene Umoh Receives C.S.C.S Guard Of Honour
Both students received a guard of honour from the school cricket and netball teams.
Inyene is also a member of the school netball team and she started playing cricket two years ago.
Both students could not hide their delight at the V.I.P. welcome from their fellow students and the school management.
The school Principal, Mrs. Mary Okon, and Mr. Ifiok Imin praised the two students for being good ambassadors of the school that has dominated different secondary school competitions in Akwa Ibom State in the past few years.
The assistant coach of the Nigerian U-19 female cricket team, Blessing Etim also graced the occasion. Etim thinks it will encourage more students to learn how to play cricket or try other sports like netball, rugby, football, athletics, and American flag football available in the school.
Furthermore, C.S.C.S. won the Mrs. Alice Imaria Ehimiaghe award for using sports to engage and empower more than 2000 students, and 150 thousand naira prize money.
Event organizers, CSED Initiative gave the two cricketers a token of 20 thousand naira.
Iyoba Celebrates Adeshola Adekunle
At Iyoba College in Benin City, the cricketer Adeshola Adekunle was also warmly received at the assembly ground of Iyoba College.
The school management commended Adeshola for doing their school proud in Malaysia.
Iyoba College received the Mrs. Alice Imaria Ehimiaghe award for using sports to build character and learning experiences for their students.
The college students partook in netball, football, badminton, athletics, and cricket, where they recently won the Elizabeth Osato Edebiri Memorial cricket tournament for girls in Benin City.
Also, the school received 150 thousand Naira which they say will help buy basic sports kits for their students in preparation for their forthcoming inter-house sports event and future competitions.
Talent Development In Cricket
Both schools have a dedicated cricket ground with practice nets. Iyoba College owns a small cricket stand, while current construction work at the cricket spectator stand of C.S.C.S. is ongoing.
Both schools have benefitted immensely from the “catch them young” grassroots development programs of the current Board of the Nigeria Cricket Federation (NCF), which has also used cricket to provide psycho-social support to residents of some IDPs and refugee camps in Nigeria.
Apart from investing in the talent development of cricketers, NCF through its President, Uyi Akpata, has also supported the cricketers in accessing further education in various universities in Nigeria by providing them with scholarship and maintenance grants.