Afikpo, Ebonyi State, May 31, 2026 Government Secondary School (GSS), Afikpo, and Sir Francis Ibiam Grammar School, Afikpo, have secured top honours in the male and female categories respectively at the Ebonyi Secondary School Cricket Championship qualifiers in Ebonyi South Senatorial District.
The tournament, organised by the Ebonyi State chapter of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria in partnership with the Ebonyi Cricket Association, is designed to identify and nurture emerging cricket talents across the state’s three senatorial districts.
Speaking after the competition, Technical Officer for the Ebonyi South series, Ebi Agha, announced that GSS Afikpo emerged champions of the boys’ category after defeating Amuro Mgbom Secondary School, Afikpo.
He explained that the two schools were the only teams that participated in the male division of the district qualifiers, with GSS Afikpo earning the ticket to represent Ebonyi South at the state finals.
In the girls’ category, Sir Francis Ibiam Grammar School dominated proceedings, overcoming both Holy Child Secondary School and Amuro Mgbom Secondary School to clinch the title.
The school recorded a convincing nine-wicket victory over Holy Child Secondary School before defeating Amuro Mgbom Secondary School by 13 runs to seal qualification for the state championship.
Agha praised the organisers for their efforts in promoting cricket at the grassroots level and noted that despite the competitive nature of the tournament, participants and officials ensured a smooth and successful event.
South-East representative on the Nigeria Cricket Federation, Chika Okoro, urged participants to embrace fair play and uphold the values of sportsmanship throughout the competition.
According to him, the championship serves as a platform for discovering and developing young players who can contribute to the future growth of cricket in the region.
He also appealed to government authorities and stakeholders to invest more in cricket development, stressing that the sport has continued to bring positive recognition to Ebonyi State and the South-East.
Chairman of Ebonyi SWAN, Andy Nwogha, commended individuals and organisations that supported the tournament and reaffirmed the association’s commitment to talent development and sports promotion.
Nwogha also acknowledged the contributions of Francis Nwifuru and Okoro toward advancing sports and cricket activities in the state.
Meanwhile, chairman of the Local Organising Committee, Chukwuemeka Opara, expressed confidence in the successful conduct of the championship across all three senatorial districts.
Earlier, Trinity Secondary School, Abakaliki, secured qualification from the Ebonyi North Senatorial District in both the male and female categories, while preparations continue for the Ebonyi Central qualifiers ahead of the state finals, where the district champions will battle for overall honours.