Captain of Nigeria’s senior female cricket team, Blessing Etim, who doubles as a coach and development officer for the Nigeria Cricket Federation in Akwa Ibom State is confident that the state will deliver on its mandate of discovering 30,000 players from now till next year, The PUNCH reports.
The 30,000 mark was set by the president of the NCF during the commissioning of new cricket practice nets which were donated by PET Foundation, at the playground of Community Secondary Commercial School Ibiaku Itam along Calabar-Itu Road, Uyo, on Friday.
Etim, who also started playing cricket as a student in 2004 earned her first Female Yellow Greens call up in 2011 and was subsequently posted to Akwa Ibom State as a coach by the NCF in 2014.
She said the federation has made the task easy by reaching out to the state’s ministry of education as the team takes the outreach to primary and secondary schools in the state.
“It is very easy for us to achieve that number because can if we can get 317 kids from the streets to be part of the launch on Friday, we can get 30,000 from schools and the NCF has given us starter kits that will help us attract and groom them,” Etim told The PUNCH.
“The federation has done its best and that is what we are going to be working with. Not just coaches, but every other player will play some role in achieving the target before or by the middle of next year,” she added.
NCF president, Uyi Akpata, who was accompanied to Uyo last Friday by International Cricket Council and Cricket South Africa officials lauded the input of the state in developing female cricket in Nigeria as three other players as well as Etim are key players of the female national team.
“So as of today, I know their names offhand – Blessing Etim- national captain, Esther Sandy – opening batter, Sarah Etim – wicket keeper and Salome Sunday – one of the top female batters among cricket associate countries in Africa. What is most instructive is that these talents are developed just out of nothing except the passion and commitments by individuals here- Akwa Ibom players and stakeholders,” Akpata said.
