The name Endurance Ofem was synonymous with cricket and was for long periods the jewel in the Howzat crown. I breathed into Ofem the cricket breath and he inhaled deeply. Ofem was and is a student of the game. He attracted my attention with his appetite to learn new things and I duly obliged. From day one Endurance Ofem was special. He had class, poise, carriage and a commanding personality which I liked and encouraged. He had supreme cricketing abilities and a desire to excel in the game. As a fast learner, he shot off the blocks on a race that took him to the pinnacle of the cricket ladder. Ofem is a cricketer per excellence. Make no mistake about it. Endurance Ofem knows his cricket. His cricket knowledge is outstanding. Ha has a flair for the game that I noticed very early. I gave Ofem my best and he was my best student in cricket anytime any day. He could bat anywhere in the top order and he plays all round the wicket.
Ofem plays Cricket strokes in a bold and positive way. His approach to the game is exemplary, passionate, committed and enterprising. Ofem is a leader on and off the pitch. I handed over the captaincy of Howzat Pioneers to him and he took to Cricket captaincy and by 2003 he led Pioneers to our first league title and greatest triumph.
It was a defining moment for the club and for the young captain Ofem. Ofem started as Batsman/wicketkeeper and scored centuries for his school Ansar-ud-Deen Grammar school as their captain. Ofem played in Nigeria’s first ever Under – 19 team in Ghana in 2000. Yours truly selected that team. Next year 2001, Ofem was a crucial member of the West Africa team to ICC/ African Qualifier in kampala Uganda. He played as batsman/ Wk and was adjudged the best Wk of the tournament. Ofem’s cricket horizon kept on expanding as he passed his ICC level 2 Cricket coach in 2008. Endurance Ofem was and is a first-class cricket coach.
I have been privileged to work with him and he saw my coaching lessons and applied them. He was a player, captain and coach while on the field. Ofem could write Technical Reports a skill I taught him and which he honed. Ofem watches Cricket very well and spoke the cricket language.
In 2008 in South Africa, at the world league qualifiers he emerged Nigeria Best player with tons of runs. He scored a century. Ofem debuted in Zambia in 2002 and by 2008 he was an established member of the team. He went to Guernesy in 2009 and after that he was appointed Captain. His play has vastly improved and added off – spin to his bowling repertoire. At N-WACC he emerged player of the series. He was still playing at the highest level in Malaysia in 2014 winning Man of the Match Awards twice. He was involved in Nigeria’s highest batting partnership of 194 runs not out against Cayman Islands. Ofem had served the NCF as GM briefly and now has risen to the pinnacle of Administration as Board Member. His meteoric rise is a combination of skill, ability, hardwork and determination.
He is arguably one of the best if not the best Cricketer to have come from the Howzat Coaching Academy. I love Endurance because he proved that with determination anything is possible. I can never forget Ofem because we shared so so much together. Cricketwise he was my favorite son. It was and still a pleasure to have coached and mentored Ofem. More pleasing is that I am part of his success story.
ICC/WCL Division 6
Jersey, United Kingdom
Nigeria Vs Bahrain
Grit, Determination – Crucial knock by Endurance Ofem
Nigeria Vs Bahrain: Endurance Ofem played one of the most crucial knocks I have seen him play. It was a highly tactical and technical innings as he applied the highest degree of skills, discipline and commonsense to blunt a Bahrian quality spin attack on a turning pitches. It was an innings of grit and determination for a batsman on his come back to the team. The team needed a steady start without a loss of wickeds and Ofem played his role to perfection. 30 runs in 69 balls on the score book does not look too good but within the context of the match, it was a colossal performance.
