Follow Us on Google
By Akanimo Kufre
The Group Manager, Marketing and Communications, Aniekan Essienette, on Tuesday received Nigerian Female team captain, Blessing Etim and two teammates back to Uyo after they disembarked from the Lagos flight.
The trio of Blessing Etim, Esther Sandy, and Sarah Etim paid a courtesy visit to her office and were received as part of the team that won the Nigeria Cricket Federation, (NCF) Women’s T20 International Trophy at Tafawa Balewa Square, (TBS) Cricket Oval in Lagos last Sunday.
Nigeria’s female team defeated archrival Rwanda by 9 wickets after a grueling resistance in the tension-soaked finals. The Nigerian girls defended their 1st inning score, 99 runs for the loss of 4 wickets. Rwanda in the 2nd was chasing another consecutive victory but the home girls avenged them and restricted their points to 90 runs for a loss of 9 wickets.
Essienette, while welcoming the girls, encouraged them to remain focused on their game and as good ambassadors to Akwa Ibom and Nigeria as a whole. “I am happy and proud to welcome the Nigerian Female Cricket team captain, a daughter of the soil, Blessing Etim from making us proud. It is my pleasure and privilege to have them in my office today. I hope this will mark the sign of things to come in the future. Thank you and congratulations on making your state and country proud.”
Ibom Air besides being a fast-growing Nigerian aviation brand hosted the girls to strengthen their 2023 International Women’s Day objective, to celebrate, uplift and honor all the contributions and achievements of women across the globe.
The excited Captain Blessing Etim expressed her feeling as, “great and wonderful to end with a win for the country. We were so excited.” Etim also went home with the award of the Best Fielder of the Series.
Other players from Akwa Ibom were Wicketkeeper, Sarah Etim and batter, Esther Sandy. The fourth Akwa Ibom player in the tournament Salome Sunday traveled back to a different destination for academic engagement. Salome won the Man of the Match award at the finals, she is also Nigeria’s top batter with 121 runs from 5 innings behind Rwanda’s Gisele Ishimwe with 128 runs. Salome was Nigeria’s only representative at Commonwealth Team vs Africa Select XI player in 2022 during the Commonwealth Heads of Government CHOGM exhibition cricket game.
