The Deputy Minister of Education Youth and Sports Algassimu Jah has hailed the U-19 cricket team for their superb performance in the just concluded U-19 cricket World Cup qualification describing them as heroes.
He also went further to describe them as the fore-runners of attitudinal change in sports and also the hope of Sports in the country. The Minister made this statement at the National Stadium after welcoming the team from Zambia.
He went further to praise the U-19 team cricket team for returning home with a silver medal and a trophy after finishing as runners-up behind Uganda in the World Cup qualifiers that were hosted in Lusaka, Zambia, and also of putting the country on the map of cricket.
That achievement he described as historic for the cricket team to reach such height adding that he had no doubt in them achieving their goals and objectives during the World cup play off in Singapore. The Minister assured the cricket association that government will do everything possible to make sure that the cricket association fulfills their dreams.
The Director of Sports, Bai Kabia in his contribution, said that Sports Council will now start to pay attention to any discipline that is poised to re-brand the country as he too commented that the U-19 cricket team has added more value to themselves.
The Chairman of the parliamentary oversight committee on Youth and Sports Hon. Nuru Deen Sankoh Yillah also said he was proud of the U-19 cricket team for their performance during the competition but advised the players to be disciplined and focused if they want to play international cricket. He also assured the association that his committee will work very closely with the Ministry of Education Youth and Sports to make sure that the association has their own playing ground.
The head coach, Cyril Panda who was part of the delegation gave a brief history of the competition and the performances of each of the players.
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