South South wins double at National U-17 Cricket Championship

South South girls’ team celebrating their victory at the PWC National U-17 Cricket Championship, which ended in Abuja…at the weekend<br />

South South’s boys and girls’ teams, at the weekend, became double champions at the Third PwC National Cricket Championship held in Abuja.

The South South boys ran over South East by 41 to beat the Eastern boys, led by Udekwe Chiemelie.

Representative of sponsor of the championship, Tolu Adeleke, said the performances demonstrated in the five-day finals at the MKO Abiola Stadium, Abuja, justifies the investment his firm has put in the organisation of the event.

According to him, “None of the teams that participated in the championship is a write off… they all have huge learning here and we are glad to have seen different players from same region work together to achieve national honor.”

He emphasised that as much as this year’s final duel in the boys’ category between the South East and the South-South was the highpoint of the event, unity and integration by the regional teams was another that shouldn’t be shoved aside.

“The victorious South South team comprised players from Edo, Delta, Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Bayelsa states and that was key for us as their working together to achieve a coming purpose was the ultimate for us.”

He described participation of the North East team, comprising Borno, Gombe and Taraba states, represented an important feat for the event in just its third year.

“This year, we had thousands of students, who got screened to make the state team and 784 participated competitively at the regional finals before being narrowed down to the 168 kids camped for the five days that the championship lasted,” he added.

Prosper Useni, with 12 wickets, won the Most Valuable