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.
England captain Harry Kane netted a hat-trick to guide Bayern Munich to an impressive victory against Stuttgart.
Kane’s goals, plus one from Kingsley Coman, helped Bayern end a three-game winless run in all competitions.
They faced a tough task against a Stuttgart side who sat back and limited their chances, leading Vincent Kompany’s side to enter the break frustrated and with the deadlock unbroken.
Bayern eventually found a way past Stuttgart’s steely defence when Kane drilled a low effort into the bottom corner from around 30 yards out after Joshua Kimmich overturned possession.
Former Nigeria goalkeeper, Dosu Joseph, is full of thanks to God after he miraculously survived another life-threatening automobile accident recent at Kara, along the Lagos-Ibadan Express Way, where a heavy-duty truck ran into his SUV.
Narrating his ordeal, the 51-year-old, who guided Nigeria to gold in the Men’s Football Tournament of the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, broke the news in a statement on his social media handles on Friday.
“To God be the glory, another death escaped by Grace and Mercy of God. Me and my friend SM were at Enyo Filling Station after Ojodu Berger bus stop to get fuel on Wednesday, October 2, 2024, around 6 p.m. when this MACK truck fully loaded with iron, with registration number LND 470 XX, left the road and crushed my car beyond repairs. Thank God for life,” he stated.
This is the second time the soft-spoken club proprietor will cheat death by a whisker, having been involved in an accident in 1997 that ended his career at 23 and left his spinal cord in bad shape.
He helped Julius Berger win the Nigeria FA Cup in November 1997 shortly a memorable Olympic outing by keeping a clean sheet in the finals against Katsina United. The following year, he was involved in the auto along Ikorodu Road, Lagos, which not only cut his career short but also left him almost paralysed, ending his spell at Serie A club Reggiana.
The former Nigeria international, who also kept goal for Julius Berger FC, said the case has been reported to Isheri Police Station, Ogun State, where the driver is currently detained and the truck also seized.
According to him, the owner of the truck said he can’t fix the badly damaged SUV until after a year.
Ex – Super Eagles of Nigeria, Okwuchukwu Waobikeze has observed that sports development in Nigeria is going down.
According to him, grassroots sports is very important, without it, the administrators cannot get it right. So everybody should key into grassroots sports development, he said.
Waobikeze said this last Wednesday in an interview with sports journalists shortly after the Port Harcourt All Stars Independence football festival (OCTOBERFEST) at the Port Harcourt club, Rivers State.
He explained that for sports administrators to get it right, grassroots development is key. “They should be organising competition at the grassroots level to fish out the young ones for different sporting activities.
“Grassroots sports is very important so the administrators have to go back to the grassroots.
” Sports Development in Nigeria is going down we need to go back to the basics.
“Look at the just concluded Paris Olympics, Nigeria did not win any medal.
” Our football team did not even qualify for the Olympics. We are going down.
” If they should go back to the grassroots, they will get young ones in the games and talents will be developed.
” I started from school games, to youth games before playing for the national team. Now everybody wants to fly board to play professional football and a lot do not know the basics of the game.
” A lot of people did not know the little things about the game, they just want to play. It is not done so,” Waobikeze stated.
Kiadum Edookor
