The President of Nigeria Cricket Federation, professor Yahaya Ukwenya, who took delivery of the donated kits yesterday in Abuja said the development further affirmed that the Nigeria Cricket is on the right course for growth.
“Part of our agenda was to develop a robust partnership with key stakeholders in the Cricket circle. The Bankstown Community that came in with this donation is very important to us, and we are very honoured to be among their list for donation,” he said.
This donation cames on the wake of the accelerated Growth Program by the Federation, which is set to introduce 250,000 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.
Ukwenya expressed delight in the gesture by the Bankstown Community in Australia, while acknowledging the positive effect these equipment will have in kick starting the accelerated Growth Program being undertaken 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.
“We have done school mapping across the country and already employed staff that will run the new phase of the project. In addition to this equipment, we have 2000 pieces of starter equipment that is currently being shipped to Nigeria too, which the Federation procured for the expanded AGP,” he added
Also present at the event was the New National Team coach Asanka Gurusinha, who stressed the importance of the timing of the equipments, citing that grassroots development is the bedrock for growth of the sport in Nigeria.
