TheCable

Mercy Ene, the team manager of the north-east team at the ongoing PriceWaterhouse Cooper-sponsored (PwC) National Under 17 Cricket championship in Abuja, says her players are in the competition to garner experience ahead of the future.

“Most of my players have never travelled outside of their states and it is a great privilege for them to be representing the region. I want to help the kids make the best of this exposure,” Ene said.

The northeastern part of the country is participating in the championship for the first time having raised a team from a regional qualifier from Gombe, Taraba, and Borno states.

According to Ene, she had personally vouched for the players’ safety to Abuja and back to enable their parents to release them in view of the security situation in the region.

“I did a house-to-house appeal to the parents before they could be convinced to have them released for training preceding the Abuja trip although some players still had to be left behind because their parents did not consent to their release,” the team manager said.

The regional team was handed a 223-run bashing by south-south, the defending champion, in their opening game on Wednesday.

“The score didn’t matter much to my players. They are just excited to participate in this competition for the first time and I am happy that they are eager to learn,” she said.