Imo and Anambra Schools Triumph as 5th South East Secondary School Cricket Championship Kicks Off in Abia

The 5th South East Secondary School Cricket Championship commenced on Saturday in Umuahia, Abia State, with schools from Imo and Anambra States dominating the opening fixtures. The competition aims to revive cricket and promote grassroots talent in the region.

Dependable NG reports that the opening game, held at Ibeku High School, saw Government Secondary School, Owerri (Imo State), secure a convincing victory by defeating Government Secondary School, Afikpo (Ebonyi State), with a margin of 10 wickets.

In the second match of the championship, Ide Secondary School Boys of Enugwu Ukwu (Anambra State) continued the day’s winning trend, beating Regina Secondary School of Enugu State by 9 wickets. However, Regina Boys bounced back in the third fixture, defeating Ohafia Model High School of Abia State by 36 runs.

Declaring the competition open, the Abia State Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Nwaobilor Ananaba, who was represented by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Sports, Mr. Raymond Ukwa, reaffirmed Governor Alex Otti’s commitment to developing all sports in the state. Ukwa noted that the government’s investment is not solely focused on football but is strategically extended to other sports, including cricket, athletics, and table tennis. He further highlighted that the Umuahia Township Stadium is currently undergoing an upgrade to accommodate more sporting activities.

The Commissioner emphasized that Governor Otti’s administration is dedicated to discovering raw talents from the grassroots for both Abia State and Nigeria while concurrently promoting peace and unity among different tribes through the hosting of various sporting events. Chika Okoro, the South East Zonal Representative of the Nigeria Cricket Federation, thanked Governor Otti for hosting the competition, acknowledging the current revival of cricket in Abia after suffering neglect for ten years.