Mr Emmanuel Babur, Niger Commissioner for Sports, said the state government was committed to the development of Cricket as a grass roots sporting event in the state.
Babur said this on Saturday in Minna during a one-day cricket coaching clinic, cosponsored by the government to sharpen the skills of players.
He said the grassroots participation would stir the interest of school children in the sport and boost its growth across the state.
“The ministry is doing everything possible to support the development of the game of cricket in the state.
” We have supported today’s coaching clinic with some logistics for it to be a reality.
” Over the years, we have been encouraging sports associations under the ministry to be up and doing in organising championships and coaching clinics,’’ he said.
Babur, who was represented by the Director of sports in the ministry , Mr Baba Sheshi, said the clinic would expose the athletes more to enable them to develop interest in the game.
According to him, the exercise, which will help the youth to stay away from vices, will also produce future athletes for the state.
” We will continue to support the game of cricket and the development of sports in general,” he assured.
He, therefore, urged the young athletes selected from six secondary schools in Minna to take their studies and the coaching event with utmost seriousness to enable them to excel.
He thanked the organiser of the coaching clinic, Mr Isaiah Fred, who is also Chairman, State Cricket Association, for the sponsorship.
Earlier, the chairman said that the event was organised to recruit young athletes interested in the game.
“We want to start now to develop these young people who will represent Niger state in the 2019 Under-15 National Youth Games and other championship,’’ he said.
Fred said that 20 participants were drawn from each of the six secondary schools in Minna, adding that three coaches were handling the training.
Also, Alhaji Kudu Umaru, Director, School Sports, in the Ministry of Education, lauded the organiser for the clinic and urged the cricket association to train Games Masters in public schools to prepare their students for the sport.
” If this is done, it will go a long way in assisting the association develop the game of cricket in Niger state,” he said.
One of the participants, 16-year old Miss Asiya Suleiman, from Day Secondary School Limawa told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that it was her first time of playing the game but she was developing interest in it.
“Cricket is interesting from my experience so far, I think I will continue to play the game,” she said.
