Government Secondary School, Owerri, on Saturday defeated Government Secondary School, Afikpo, Ebonyi State, by 10 wickets in the opening game of the 5th South East Cricket Championship taking place in Umuahia, Abia State.
In the second match, Ide Secondary School Boys of Enugwu Ukwu, Anambra State, beat Regina Secondary School of Enugu State by 9 wickets.
In the third fixture, Regina Boys defeated Ohafia Model High School of Abia State by 36 runs.
Declaring the competition open on Saturday at Ibeku High School, Umuahia, the Abia State Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Nwaobilor Ananaba, said Governor Alex Otti, is committed to developing all sports in the state.
Ananaba, who was represented by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Sports, Mr Raymond Ukwa, stated that the government’s investment is not focused solely on football but also extends to other sports such as cricket, athletics, and table tennis, among others.
He added that the Umuahia Township Stadium is currently being upgraded to accommodate more sporting activities.
The commissioner further noted that Governor Alex Otti is discovering raw talents from the grassroots for both Abia State and Nigeria, while also promoting peace and unity among different tribes through the hosting of various sporting events.
The South East Zonal Representative of the Nigeria Cricket Federation, Chika Okoro, thanked Governor Otti for hosting the competition, adding that cricket had suffered neglect in Abia for ten years before its current revival.
