NAN-S-7
Cricket
By Kemi Ajayi
Lagos, April 12, 2017 (NAN) The Rivers State Cricket Association on Wednesday said that paucity of fund had denied its team the opportunity to defend the National Secondary Super League Title.
Tonye Timinade, Head Coach of the body, said in Lagos that the team would not participate in the 2017 edition of the tournament scheduled to hold in Abuja from April 13 to April 15.
Timinade spoke in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
NAN reports that the annual competition which began 21 years ago is being organised by Howzat Cricket Foundation to promote the game in secondary schools.
Timinade said that efforts of the association to get funding from the Rivers Ministry of Sports to participate in the competition failed.
He told NAN that the non-participation would affect the players psychologically, noting that they had trained rigorously for the competition.
“Young players easily get discouraged in a situation like this, because of the amount of time and energy they invested in training.
“Some of our players, who represented the country at the continental level in U-19 championship in 2016, were selected through this competition last year.
“These players will not only miss the competition but will also be denied the opportunity to showcase their talents. This is sad,” he said.
NAN reports that the Howzat Foundation for Cricket is a non-profit sports organisation committed to the development and promotion of the game in Nigeria, especially at the grassroots. (NAN)
KOA/IKU/IGO
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(Edited by Tayo Ikujuni/Ijeoma Popoola)