Anosike South-east Cricket Tourney Kicks-off April 10

This year’s edition of the Chuma Anosike South-east Cricket Tournament, which is in its 11th year will hold between April 10 and 14 in Aba, Abia State.  

At a press briefing on Tuesday at his Victoria Island office, the sponsor of the tournament, Chuma Anosike said the tournament will take place in two venues – Abia State Stadium and the Holy Child Girls Secondary School in both male and female categories.  

The male would play their games at the stadium while the girls’ games would take place at Holy Child Secondary School.  

Winning teams would cart away giant trophies while there will be individual prizes for the best batsman, best behaved player and team and many more.  

The tournament which would take a round-robin format with the top two teams playing in the final, will see all the five eastern states comprising Imo, Anambra, Abia, Enugu and Ebonyi participating. 

According to Anosike, all Covid-19 rules would be observed at the tournament, while also stressing that all the values of cricket would be fully taken into cognizance.  

While emphasizing some of the achievements of the tournament so far, Anosike said: “The main objective is to awaken the game of cricket in the East. Some of the products of this tournament had gone to play for the senior national team and while others have represented the country at U-19 category.”  

“At the last national U-17 cricket competition Anambra State was top, something that could not have been achieved 15 years ago. A lot of good things have already started happening in the South-East as far as cricket is concerned,” Anosike noted.  

He however thanked Mikano and Ekulo Group of companies for their support towards the success the tournament had achieved so far.  

Anosike indeed hail the emergence of the South East Cricket Association (SECA) which is meant to develop cricket in the Eastern zone, saying the process of registration os going on and would be announced in due course.  

“Courtesy of SECA, there would be significant movement in cricket across the eastern zones, while proper cricket pitches are being planned for the south-east states.  

At the national level, Anosike is of the opinion that the future of cricket in Nigeria is bright.  

“At the moment we have six Turf-two each in Lagos and Edo, one in Abuja and Kaduna. Without proper cricket turf there is no way we can compete favourably internationally,” he observed.