The teams that represented the South East in both the boys’ and girls’ categories at the recent PwC National Under-17 Cricket Championship in Abuja are back in their region with plans to conquer at the next edition.
Azuka Onwujuobi, a former female national team player who coached the female south-east team, said finishing second in both categories to the south-south teams was a great feat for her side, considering the immense investment and youth development that the south-south has had in recent times.
“i am not disappointed that my team did not win the final match because we know the strength of the south-south team and watching my team play that day gave me courage that by the next edition, south east will lift the trophy,” she said.
She said her team took useful lessons from the federal capital, although they cherished the performances that took them to the top spots, with the hope to become a title-winning side in the near future.
“I am proud of my team, especially that we went past some other perennial powerhouses like the South-West and North-West to reach the finals. Our performance is a testament to the grassroots cricket resurgence that is currently going on in the South East,” she added.
Onwujuobi said a new south east league is being proposed to take off before the end of the year to strengthen the surge in region’s cricket growth.
“Our chairmen are working hard in this regard and we want to provide a platform for the players to have more games in a competitive setting,” she explained.