President of the Nigeria Cricket Federation, Uyi Akpata, has expressed excitement ahead of the fifth edition of the Nigeria Invitational WT20i Tournament set to take place in Lagos from March 20 to March 28.
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Akpata described the expanded five-nation competition as a major milestone for cricket development in Nigeria and across Africa.
“We are very excited to host some of the best teams on the continent,” he said.
The tournament will feature Nigeria alongside Ghana women’s national cricket team, Rwanda women’s national cricket team, South Africa U-19 women’s cricket team, and Zimbabwe U-19 women’s cricket team.
According to Akpata, the growth of the tournament is a result of years of effort in building relationships within the African cricket community.
“This is the result of years of hard work and collaboration,” he added.
He also credited the strong performances of Nigeria’s women’s cricket team as a key factor in attracting more competitive participation.
Akpata emphasized that hosting such a tournament will provide valuable exposure for local players and help raise the standard of the sport in the country.
“It’s an opportunity to grow the game further,” he noted.
He concluded by expressing confidence that the competition will be a success, both in terms of organization and the quality of cricket on display.
