2024 Cricket Festival launches Obuasi Academy with over 540 children
The second edition of the Obuasi Cricket Festival resulted in the establishment of the Obuasi Cricket Academy with the motto “Let’s Chase the Dream.”
The intensive six-day event, which took place from June 24 to June 29, 2024, at the KNUST Obuasi campus Cricket Oval, trained more than 540 children aged 8 to 15 in bowling, batting, and fielding.
The event wrapped up with a mixed-gender T20 match between Larry Hill Cricket Club and Van Etten Cricket Club.
Larry Hill CC batted first after winning the toss and scored 82/8. Emmanuella Abdulai performed impressively against veteran Eric Manu (Ajos) and captain Prince Obeng with her “magical bowling,” finishing with figures of 3-0-14-4.
In the second innings, senior national team captain Samson Awe Awiah (*52-43) opened the batting for Van Etten CC with captain Prince Jula (5-5), leading the team to achieve 86/3 in 14.1 overs and win by 7 wickets. Emmanuella Abdulai was named Player of the Match for her 4 wickets and 14 runs in 3 overs.
The event was graced by the President of the Georgia Women’s Cricket Association, Petal Samuels, who umpired the match along with GCA Development Officer, Lawrence Ahadzi. The match aimed to educate the children, with commentary on the game and incidents explained throughout.
Larry Hill and Oscar Van Etten, expatriates and Project & Operations Managers at the Underground Mining Alliance (UMA) in Obuasi, sponsored the festival. They are passionate about cricket and committed to supporting its growth in Obuasi, aspiring to make the Obuasi Cricket Academy a household name.
Other sponsors included the Obuasi Municipal Assembly, Ghana Mine Workers Union, and Toni-B Drinking Water. Former cricketer and UMA foreman Williams Afoakwah joined Larry Hill to grace the closing ceremony.
Rhyda Ofori Amanfo, President of the Academy and captain of Ghana’s senior women’s cricket national team, outlined future plans: “The beginning of everything is tough and we wanted a bigger and different second edition, so the team together with the sponsors put in a lot of effort, to make it like this. We have a lot of activities for Obuasi and a vision to go and help other regions to develop cricket in Ghana. Honestly speaking, we want to own Cricket here in Obuasi and Ghana.”
She added, “All things being equal, whatever we are doing for the academy to stay in Obuasi, we will bring it out for publication for all to know, because we will be chasing the dream and it will come to reality.”
Cricket in Obuasi began with expatriates playing on the KNUST-Obuasi campus cricket Oval, and the town has since produced many national team players. With the festival’s success and growing participation, there is hope that the Obuasi Cricket Academy will achieve its dream.