Sports
ICC’s Women’s World Cup Final Attracts Crowd
The International Cricket Council’s Women’s World Cup will end on Sunday at the Lord’s Cricket Ground in London as the tickets for the final has now been sold out with more than 26,500 expected to be in attendance.
A statement by the ICC made available to Tidesports source last Tuesday in Lagos indicated a 32 million page views on the ICC Website and App and 75 million views on ICC video content of group stage games.
The statement also said 50 per cent of the ticket buyers were female and 31 per cent under 16 years.
It noted that an International Cricket Council (ICC) summer of success would come to a record-breaking finale this weekend with a sell-out ICC Women’s World Cup final at Lord’s Cricket Ground.
“It will be the biggest crowd ever to attend an ICC Women’s World match which is fitting for a tournament that has shattered records on and off the field.
“More than 26,500 tickets have been sold for the event with only MCC Members able to purchase any remaining tickets.
“Unprecedented media coverage, including all 31 games shown live for the first ever time, has seen a global audience of more than 50 million for the group stage games with ICC video content from the group stages being viewed more than 75 million times.’’
The statement said that record-breaking global TV audiences had watched the group stage unfold with a staggering number following the event via digital channels.
It said the viewing figures include: 80 per cent higher global viewership expected across the course of the event as against the 2013 edition.
Also, the Global TV audience reached of more than 50 million with 51per cent increases in U.K. TV audience against the 2013 edition.
The statement said that 47 per cent increase was recorded in Indian TV audience as against the 2013 edition, adding that 300 per cent increase was noticed in Australian TV audience as against 2013.
“Thirty-two million page views on ICC Women’s World Cup website and app and 75 million views of ICC video content and
“In the U.K., on the BBC Sport website “Briliant Wilson catch removes Mandora’’ is the second most popular cricket clip on BBC Sport over the past 28 days with over 190,000 views,’’ the statement said..
It said that on the field, records had been shattered, providing fans with the highest quality Women’s World Cup to date (figures correct as at pre-semi-finals).
“The event has seen more runs, more wickets and more players than ever before competing for records on the global stage.
“The league match between England and South Africa saw a record total of 678 runs and that match also saw Tammy Beaumont and Sarah Taylor set new England ODI partnership record of 275 runs.
“Also, 14 innings have passed the 250 mark (vs eight in the whole 2013 edition), 12 players from seven teams averaging more than 50 so far (vs six in the whole 2013 edition).
“South Africa boasts most successful bowlers Van Niekerk and Kapp with 27 wickets between them (pre-semi-final) with Niekerk who has already equalled the best bowling performance of 2013 (Schutt of Australia).
“Other statistics of note are ticket purchaser’s equal 50:50 male: female split, 31 per cent of all tickets to U-16s, 30,000 people visiting fan parks and average ticket sales higher than any previous World Cup.
“The rest are that ticket resale service has been available to fans who can no longer attend the final, since Monday and so far 152 tickets have been resold from fans to fans,’’ it said.
The ICC Women’s World Cup Tournament director, Steve Elworthy,said: “We promised that this would be the best-ever ICC Women’s World Cup and I believe that the statistics, on and off the field, show that we have delivered on that pledge.
“The attendances have been outstanding and they have been treated to some exciting, exhilarating cricket.’’
Also the statement said that the chair of the ICC Women’s Committee, Clare Connor, added: “The challenge for this tournament is to ensure that we showcased the talent of the world’s best cricketers, and to inspire the next generation of girls and women to engage with the game.
“The quality of cricket has been truly fantastic and the demographics of the crowds we’ve seen reveal that we have attracted thousands of girls and women to attend.
“Now we have to retain that level of interest to continue to build a new fan base and drive levels of participation, both in this country and around the world.”
The winners of the two semi-finals will meet in the historic final at Lord’s on Sunday, 23 July.
Hon Dike who spoke with sports journalists shortly after the flag off the 2024 edition of Chairman’s Football Unity Tournament at Botem Tai in Tai LGA, said the tournament is an annual event to promote peace and unity in Tai as well identify budding talents in the area for global competition.
The opening ceremony of the tournament was more like a carnival was witnessed by huge crowd including prominent indigenes of Ogoni Kingdom, sports lovers and people from all works of life.
The LGA boss revealed that special sports committee will be setup in the area to work out modalities to strengthen sports development in Tai.
He advised the participants in the tournament from various wards in the LGA to play the game by the rules and conduct themselves in a peaceful and orderly manner and use the opportunity to showcase their talents.
Hon Dike further disclosed that his administration will also give priority attention to skills development among the youth to enhance their human capacity and promote enterprise development in the area.
Earlier in his address the Chairman of Tai LGA Football Council, Elder Wisdom Gorgor said the annual football competition has been a unifying factor in Tai LGA that need to be sustained to forge more unity and development in the area.
He urged the participants to see the competition as an opportunity to embrace football as a full career and earn sustainable livelihood.
Elder Gorgor who commended the Chairman of Tai LGA, Hon Dike for his visionary leadership and tremendous development achievements recorded in the LGA under his administration, appealled to the Chairman to build a Mini Sports Stadium in the area to promote sporting activities.
The training was held at the Sani Abacha Stadium Indoor Basketball Court in Kano last Saturday.
According to the Vice President and Head of NBA Nigeria, Gbemisola Abudu, the event was part of the league’s commitment to growing broader basketball ecosystem in Nigeria and making the game more accessible across the country.
“Our first Jr. NBA clinic in Kano speaks to our commitment to growing the game in Nigeria and creating more opportunities for boys and girls to learn and play the game,” Abudu said.
“Nigeria has a rich basketball history and abundance of talent, which is evident every time you watch an NBA game. We look forward to continuing to engage with basketball stakeholders, business leaders and members of the community to further the game’s reach and impact on young people around the country,” she added.
The 2024 basketball initiative clinics of NBA Nigeria also included the league’s inaugural Jr. NBA elite camp for 150 boys and age-16 girls held at the American International School in Lagos in July.
Others include the NBA’s building of 1,000 courts in Africa over the next decade, Nigeria’s Festival Coins and Salubata named the top two winning businesses at NBA Africa Triple-Double Accelerator’s inaugural Demo Day in New York City held last September, and the third edition of “NBA Meets Art,” a curated installation celebrating basketball through the lens of Nigerian art and culture as part of West Africa’s premier art fair Art X Lagos, held in November.
Central to this vision is the federation’s investment in capacity building, evident in the just-concluded one-week Level 1 Badminton World Federation (BWF) Coaching Course, which marked a significant milestone for Nigerian badminton.
Held in Abuja, the course brought together 13 young coaches from across Nigeria. The last time such a course was held in the country was in 2017, making this a historic and transformative step.
The training was facilitated by the Badminton Confederation of Africa (BCA) in partnership with the Badminton Federation of Nigeria (BFN) and conducted by Dr. Ahmed Radah, the BCA Development Manager.
Radah, impressed by the talent he witnessed, praised Nigeria’s potential.
“Nigeria is blessed with immense talent and a strong badminton tradition. I believe this country has what it takes to dominate on the global stage,” he remarked.