The 2024 National Sports Festival, scheduled to take place from May 16 to 30 in Ogun State, is set to feature a thrilling cricket competition with 13 states confirmed to participate in the male and female events. Following the successful completion of the zonal eliminations, the stage is set for an exciting battle for supremacy in the cricket discipline.
The participating states include hosts Ogun State, along with their Southwest counterparts Lagos and Oyo States. The South-South zone is strongly represented by Edo, Akwa Ibom, and Delta States, while Kaduna and Zamfara States emerged from the Northwest. The Northeast zone is represented by Adamawa, Yobe, and Gombe States, with Ebonyi State being the sole representative from the Southeast and Kwara State representing the North Central.
According to the Nigeria Cricket Federation, the cricket event will feature three formats: T20, ODI (50 Overs), and Six-aside, in both male and female categories. The number of teams each state presents for the three formats will determine their overall standing in the competition. Notably, some states, like Ebonyi, will be represented solely by their female team, while others, like Kwara, will participate with only their male team.
The competition is expected to be fierce, with national team players set to represent their states. Some notable players include Female Yellow Greens trio Sarah Etim, Salome Sunday, and Esther Sandy, who will play for Akwa Ibom, while Piety Lucky, captain of the celebrated Junior Female Yellow Greens, is expected to represent Edo State. In the men’s category, national team captain Sylvester Okpe and his brother Isaac Okpe will line up for Kaduna, while players like former U-19 captain Ridwan Abdulkareem and his brother Kareem Gafar will play for Team Lagos.
With the best cricketers from across the country set to converge in Ogun State, the National Sports Festival promises to be an exciting platform for athletes to showcase their skills and compete for top honors. The competition is expected to be intense, with each state vying for supremacy in the various formats and categories.
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