Mission Accompli:

FECACRICKET ends 2016 sports season in style

Col. KalkabaMalboun hands trophy to 

captain of the 2016 cricket champions

National Olympic Committee President, Col. HamadKalkabaMalboun, sitting alongside the representative of the Minister of Sports and the President of FECACRICKET, presided over ceremonies marking the close of the 2016 cricket season in Cameroon, on Sunday 28 August, at the sports complex of the University of Yaounde I.

The football stadium of the University of Yaounde I was jammed to capacity on Sunday 28 August 2016 as the Cameroon Cricket Federation FECACRICKET staged ceremonies marking the close of its activities for the 2016 sporting season. The activities were presided over by the President of the Cameroon Olympic Committee, Col. HamadKalkabaMalboun, who was flanked by the representative of the Minister of Sports and Physical Education and the President of the Cameroon Cricket Federation, Victor AgborNso.  

                The highpoints of the day were the 2016 cricket finals that pitted Queens Eleven Cricket Club against Cup Pioneers Cricket Club in the ladies’ category and Academy Cricket Club Douala against Pathfinders Cricket Club Yaounde in the men’s category.

                At the end of the thrilling ladies’ finals Queens Eleven beat Cup Pioneers by 42 runs to 37 to emerge as the women’s cricket champions of Cameroon for 2016.

                Meanwhile, the men’s final that was arguably the most-awaited event of the day, saw Academy Cricket Club Douala walloping their counterparts of Pathfinders Yaounde by 85 runs to 73 thus emerging as the Cameroon cricket champions in the men’s category.

               

Men’s and ladies’ finalists pose with OlympicCommittee President, Col. Kalkaba

Apart from the coveted trophies and cash prizes that were handed to the respective champions, other trophies were handed to some individuals and clubs that showcased outstanding performance in the course of the season. There was thus a trophy for the most promising cricketer of the year (revelation of the year) that went to Zefe Stanley of Academy Cricket Club, and another for the best female cricketer of the year that was won by Kana Souna of Queens Cricket Club.

                Other trophies included those for the man and woman of the match; the best umpire of the year and the best domestic league club.

                The trophies were handed to their respective winners by the various personalities that were invited to witness the finals. Col. HamadKalkabaMalboun handed the trophy for the men’s champions while the representative of the MINSEP did same for the ladies champions.

                In his reaction at the end of the ceremonies, Col. Kalkaba expressed profound joy and satisfaction at the level of finals.

                “I am deeply satisfied and motivated by what I have witnessed here today. I did not know Cameroon cricket had attained the level that we all saw today. I cease this opportunity to congratulate the finalists who put up a wonderful showing, as well as the President of FECACRICKET who must have worked so hard to ensure a wonderful and successful organization of the finals,” said Col. Kalkaba, who pledged his total support and encouragement to the cricket federation for the growth of cricket in Cameroon.

                For his part, the President of the Cricket Federation, Victor AgborNso, could not conceal his elation for what he described as “a wonderful and very fulfilling 2016 cricket season”.

                “All’s well that ends well! 2016 has been a most wonderful and fulfilling year for fecacricket. I should say it has been a mission accompli and the year has ended in grand style. My joy is all the more because the year has been crowned with very beautiful, thrilling and hotly contested final matches. You could see for yourself the spectacle produced by the kids, and especially the enthusiasm they demonstrated. I think that the season is ending on a wonderful note. For this I can only but say I am a very happy president,” said a visibly ecstatic Victor AgborNso, who noted that the young finalists have demonstrated, and spectacularly so, that Cameroon has great talents in cricket and that the future of cricket in Cameroon can only be promising.

                But Mr. AgborNso at once also launched an appeal for much-needed support from the government and perhaps the wider Cameroonian public, noting that cricket in Cameroon has the potential to go places but this can only happen if it is accompanied by the requisite support.

                “You can see that we lack adequate and appropriate infrastructure for cricket. We use football pitches to play cricket here; but football stadia are not meant or adapted for cricket. Besides, we lack adequate equipment for cricket. For some time now we have had to make do with some locally produced equipment, and a few state-of-the-art equipment provided by our foreign partners notably Cricket Without Boundaries, CWB. Then we need sponsors who can accompany the federation and even some of the talents who may want to make a career in cricket, why not?” Victor Agbor appealed.

                The final ceremonies were witnessed amongst others by presidents of different sports federations in the country who were joined by an enthusiastic and cheering crowd comprising essentially the youths.