St. Gregory’s Old Boy, Abebe, Donates Cricket Equipment to Revive School’s Sporting Legacy

*NCF pledges to make the school cricket high performance centre in Lagos

Wale Igbintade 

A former President of the Nigeria Cricket Federation and alumnus of St. Gregory’s College, Dr. John Abebe, has donated cricket equipment to the college as part of efforts to revive the institution’s rich sporting tradition and reposition it as a centre for cricket development.

The donation was formally made on Sunday during an event held at the school premises, where alumni, students, school officials, and cricket stakeholders gathered to launch a renewed drive for sports development in the college.

Speaking at the event, President of the Old Boys Association, Francis Oluwole Kudayah, said the initiative formed part of broader efforts to restore sporting excellence in the school, which was historically renowned for producing notable athletes and sportsmen.

According to Kudayah, earlier attempts to revive sports through a Sports Development Committee had not yielded the desired outcomes, leading to a renewed strategy aimed at revitalising sporting activities in the college.

He said the cricket project represented the first phase of a wider sports revival programme.

“This college used to be known for producing outstanding sportsmen, footballers, athletes and cricketers.

“We felt we could not allow that heritage to disappear, so this initiative is aimed at bringing sports back to life in the college,” he said.

Kudayah disclosed that two cricket coaches had already been employed to train students, while plans were underway to remodel and modernise the sports field to support cricket development.

He added that discussions were ongoing to position the college field as a venue for cricket activities and competitions, while similar revival efforts were being planned for tennis and football.

According to him, the association is also considering the restoration of sporting competitions among Catholic secondary schools in Lagos.

A major highlight of the event was the formal presentation of cricket kits and equipment by Dr. Abebe, who described the gesture as a continuation of his decades-long support for cricket development and his alma mater.

Abebe said cricket had been played in the college for almost a century and that the school had historically remained one of Nigeria’s leading secondary school institutions for the sport.

He explained that for more than 40 years, he had supported cricket development through donations of equipment, sponsorship of coaches, and scholarship opportunities for young players.

“Today’s event is simply a continuation of something I have always enjoyed doing, encouraging young boys to embrace cricket and build opportunities for themselves through sports,” he said.

The former cricket administrator noted that students who take the sport seriously could build future careers not only as players but also as administrators.

While acknowledging that he never represented Nigeria as a player, Abebe said he later contributed to the sport through administration, including his tenure as President of the Nigeria Cricket Federation.

He also revealed that he had previously sponsored coaching programmes and scholarships for students who continued cricket at university level.

Although he declined to disclose the cost of the donated equipment, Abebe said the items were imported and represented a significant investment in the development of young cricketers.

Also speaking, President of the Nigeria Cricket Federation,  Dr Uyi Akpata, praised the initiative and commended Abebe for his long-standing contributions to cricket development in Nigeria.

He promised that with the revival of cricket in the school, he would initiate a plan to make St Gregory’s College a high performance centre in Lagos State. In addition, Akpata also pledged financial support for any student from the college to make it to represent any of the national teams.

The NCF President said cricket was not only about competition but also about building discipline, integrity, honesty and respect among young people.

He expressed optimism that the initiative would nurture future national players and administrators, while strengthening grassroots cricket development.

Organisers said they hope the programme would, within the next year, produce a competitive school cricket team capable of participating in national and local competitions, alongside plans for future inter-collegiate tournaments among legacy schools in Lagos.