President of the Nigeria Cricket Federation, Kwesi Sagoe has reviewed the first three months of his board and declared that they are on track. The President recalled with pride their first board meeting which held just a little over three weeks after their inauguration and the full council meeting held in July at the British Council, Abuja.
Apart from the large attendance of delegates (from no fewer than 15 states), two former Presidents of the NCF, Mr Yinka Fisher and Dr Kalada Iruenabere presented "very stimulating papers" at the occasion. Three NGOs were also represent.
Most remarkable was the attendance of the International Cricket Council Development Officer for Africa, Hussain Ayoub who, the President said "was pleasantly surprised with the huge interest the game has generated in Nigerians."
Pointedly, the NCF boss said, the Congress which was the first in nearly a decade sort of reunited the Nigerian cricket family. "In a long time we hadn't had the opportunity to meet like this. I was pleasantly impressed with the turnout. the task before us now is how to build on this and make the number go higher when next we meet."
Sagoe foresees a situation where the number will grow from fifteen to twenty, then thirty, in that progressive order. "By then I will be very happy that we are making progress."
And who can deny the astute administrator that - not with the successful camping of the national team that departed for Kenya Wednesday, August 9th en-route Dar es Salam, Tanzania for the World Cricket League, African Division One tournament.
"It is our cardinal objective that the boys better the performance of their predecessors who placed fifth out of six countries." And he was not kidding. The NCF under Kwesi's leadership have reinvented the philosophy of adequate preparations before major tournaments. Before their departure to Kenya, the team trained for more than two weeks in Ibadan under the watchful eyes of coaches Ewa Henshaw and Okon Ukpong.
While in Kenya, the team will be exposed to modern facilities and techniques as the Kenyan national team coach and former West Indies international Roger Happa is expected to talk with them and watch them play. They will also play two warm up matches before their departure to Tanzania.
The Nigerians will be up in arms against Botswana, Zambia, Mozambique and host, Tanzania. The team was strenghtened with the availability of Seun Odeku who was dropped because the championship clashed with his exams. Just as the team was preparing to leave the school authorities announced the postponement of the examination. Sagoe insisted that "with all this, I feel the boys will go into the competition on a high."
The President said he had absolute confidence in the technical crew of Ewa Henshaw and Okon Ukpong. "These are old hands in Nigerian cricket and we don"t have better hands in the present setting we can present as a better technical support team. Henshaw did not only play for Nigeria for a long time but captained Nigeria, captained West Africa, worked as a coach for the Lagos State Sports Council for the whole of his career.
"He is going to be supported by Okon Ukpong. He also captained Nigeria, played for West Africa and has a level two coaching certificate. In terms of strategy, I don't think we have a better strategist."
After the World Cricket League what next. Sagoe said a lot is yet to be done. He mentioned the desire of his board to return cricket to the schools. "Efforts are on with possible sponsors and we would be happy to see the return of the NNPC secondary schools cricket competition."
The NCF boss also talked about a national league which the board is also seeking sponsors.
The comming season will witness the organisation of a workshop for journalist who cover cricket. The president said he would use the workshop to thank them for their role in the enthronment of his regime but mor importantly, to acquaint them with the latest development in terms of rules and officiating.
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