Commonwealth Week:

India-Cameroon Friendship Showcased in Cricket

A friendly cricket match pitting the Cameroon Cricket Lions against a selection of Indian Cricket players in Yaounde, was a veritable showcase of the excellent relations that exist between Yaounde and New Delhi.

By Doh Bertrand Nua in Yaounde

Joint Indian and Cameroon Cricket family pose for a snapshot

The friendly match staged on Sunday 1st March, at the Lycee Generale Leclerc playground in Yaounde, was part of activities to commemorate the 2020 Commonwealth Day.

                It was organized by the Cameroon Cricket Federation, FECACRICKET, in collaboration with the Commonwealth Games Association of Cameroon, CGAC, the Department of Commonwealth at the Ministry of external Relations (MINREX) and The Indian High Commission in Cameroon.

                Speaking on the occasion, Victor Agbor Nso, FECACRICKET President, hailed the excellent, rapidly growing cooperation ties between Cameroon and India.

Agbor Nso, who doubles as Vice President of the Commonwealth Games Association in Cameroon, expressed gratitude to the Indian government through the High Commissioner for the country’s ‘invaluable contributions’ towards the growth and development of Cricket in Cameroon.

                He also used the occasion to thank the Indian government for sponsoring two young Cameroonian cricketers to undertake a one-month training course at the Bengaleru Cricket camp in India.

                He said the friendly cricket encounter serves as an opportunity for both nations to chart a way forward towards a better promotion of cricket in Cameroon.

                The Indian High Commissioner to Cameroon, H.E. Rakesh Malhotra, for his part, also used the opportunity to highlight the friendly ties existing between Cameroon and India. He prayed that the friendly Yaounde-New Delhi ties should grow stronger especially after the creation of the Indian High Commission in Yaounde.

                Malhotra promised more support to Cameroon in the domain of Cricket and in other domains. Promising more support to Fecacricket, he announced plans to increase the number of Cameroonians to be sponsored for training in India.  

                On his part, the Director of Commonwealth Affairs who doubles as Acting Secretary General of MINREX, Gache James, appealed for more support from the Indian government to help reduce the challenges that the relatively new Cricket discipline is facing. He noted the need to vulgarize cricket and make it more competitive in the future.

                He disclosed that in line with the Commonwealth day celebrations, the MINREX will organise weeklong activities to be chaired by the Minister of Commonwealth Affairs, Felix Mbayu, beginning Monday 2 March.

                The cricket friendly also served as a warm up encounter for the Cameroon Men's Cricket team in view of upcoming international tournaments. It also served as an opportunity to welcome home the two Cameroonian under-16 cricketers who just returned from Bengaleru, India.

                It was also a veritable rallying opportunity for Indian/Commonwealth Citizens living in Cameroon.

                At the end of the encounter, Cameroon Cricket Indomitable Lions won the India Commonwealth Cricket Selection by 110 to 41 runs.

                It rounded up with the award of individual and collective prizes outstanding players.