T20 World Cup: NSC Echelons Hails Nigeria U19 Cricket Team For Historic Performance
As Nigeria U19 female Cricket team booked an Automatic ticket to the next Cricket World Cup the National Sports Commission (NSC) led by its Chairman, Mallam Shehu Dikko and the Director General, Hon Bukola Olopade have both hailed the Nigeria U19 Cricket team for their historic performance at the T20 ICC U19 Cricket World Cup in Malaysia.
Their performance took the Cricket World by surprise, thereby making mockery of pre tournament underrated analysis, predictions and expectations of the team.
Nigeria finished the tournament as the 5th overall best Cricket U19 Country in the World even as a debutant in Malaysia. This feat gave them an automatic ticket to the next U19 Cricket World cup
They shocked the Cricket World with wins against Cricket Giants like New Zealand and a hard-fought win against Ireland in their last game.
The NSC Chairman, Mallam Shehu Dikko, has described their performance as an achievement that is worthy of appreciation and celebration.
” These girls gave our country another global recognition with what they achieved in Malaysia. You know many people used to think Nigeria is only good in a few sports like football, but our U19 team showed the other side of our Sporting potential as a country, making it to Nigeria first ever cricket World cup and doing so well”.
“As a Commission this is why we believe in the continuous improvement of every sport from the Grassroot through the Renewed Hope initiatives for Nigeria Sports Economy, RHINSE, campaign.
” Our target now is to improve on this momentum from the World cup and support the Nigeria cricket federation to ensure more talents are discovered from the Grassroot for a sustainable growth of the Sports”, he concluded.
In the same vein, the Director General of the National Sports Commission, Hon Bukola Olopade, said the U19 Cricket team have exemplified the dogged vision of the Sports Commission under the current leadership to change the perception of Sports development.
” What we saw these girls displayed in Malaysia just helped to buttress the new dawn that Mr President has brought into Nigerian Sports with the establishment of the Sports Commission and we are very excited that every sports is aligning to the vision”.
” We are not sweeping their achievements in Malaysia under the carpet and this is why we have made arrangements for them to be properly welcomed back when they return to the country on Friday in Lagos”, he added.
