NCF has made me know my wife better in death – Bobby Kambarami

For ten days in March, women’s cricket teams from Rwanda, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Ghana and host Nigeria were engaged in top class action at the Tafawa Balewa Square Cricket Oval, Lagos. Apart from bragging right, at stake was the Patricia Kambarami Cup, sponsored by Providus Bank and organised by the Nigeria Cricket Federation.

Born on December 8, 1958 in Harare, Zimbabwe, Patricia Kambarami, was a former ICC Development Officer for Africa. Mrs Kambarami died May 2024 in Gauteng, Johannesburg, South Africa. She was 65. The Nigeria Cricket Federation under Uyi Akpata honoured the late Kambarami by naming the 5-nation invitational T20i after her for her enormous contributions to the development of the sport in Africa and Nigeria in particular.

As the tournament was going on, husband of the late Patricia, Mr Bobby Kambarami was on the stands watching. He shared his feelings with Sports journalists. Jacob Ajom was also there. Excerpts:-

How do you feel that this tournament is named after your late wife?

It means a lot of things to me. The first thing is that when you have a wife and you have lived together as long as did, 45 years and blessed with three beautiful children who have gone to school and did very well and you think you know your wife, but in reality most men don’t really know their partners. I spent 45 years with my wife before she passed on; when she passed on, expectedly, I soon discovered, and regret that there were a lot of things, that I wished, I should have picked up in my journey. When I sit down to reflect, there are one or two things I should have done, maybe take my wife out for dinner – I am not saying I never took my wife out for dinner, maybe I should have done it more frequently.

Now, I have discovered that there was something very special about my wife. At that time, I just saw her as a lovely wife but now the things that I am picking up, that she did to outsiders and her conviction and understanding of what life is all about amaze me. I was truly blessed to have had a woman who was full of not only compassion but of loveliness and I regret that the Almighty took her early. But when God has said that it must be done, who are we to say no.
But one thing she did, not only in cricket, because before cricket she had other jobs that she took on and every time I used to hear her compassion, her drive to make sure her job succeed. But in the cricket fraternity the compliments that I get and the invitation that has led me here because of what she has done for African cricket amazes me. I am so humbled and also very appreciative of Cricket Nigeria.

They have acknowledged her abilities, her responsibilities that she has done well, her encouragement for the game to rise to levels that are unprecedented. The fact that I have been invited here by the Nigeria Cricket Federation to come and witness a very peculiar organisation where they have have said the tournament that is holding here is Patricia tournament, I am surprised and so overwhelmed that up till now, I am a man who don’t cry so many times. I am humbled.

Do your children know about this tournament?

When I received the invitation from Cricket Nigeria to come here and be with them for a few days, I briefed my children(I am blessed with two sons and a daughter), I told them and they all said, ‘Dad, go there and represent Mom. I came here with their backing and they are overjoyed It is not just an occasion for me to come here and smile and be happy about, but it has been a special occasion for the rest of the family and I thank Cricket Nigeria for this opportunity.

Not only that but to also say that since my arrival here, up till now, everybody who meets me is talking about the great works of Patricia and what she did for them, companionship and friendliness. I am overjoyed.. I believe that this will continue for many more years. Ultimately, her goal was that Cricket in Africa must be elevated to where Africa is seen as a dominant force in the world. Everytime one talks about cricket, one can only mention the top 8: India, South Africa, Australia, England and others. The African continent has been left behind. One of her dreams, her wish was to see African countries like Nigeria, Rwanda, Zimbabwe break into that circle. She strongly believed that cricket Nigeria had the potential to rise to the level of breaking into the top 8 Nigeria, South Africa and maybe a country like Rwanda and Zimbabwe so that Africa can have dominance in world cricket. This was her belief and I believe that with what I have seen, that is going to happen.

I have been here three days and Cricket Nigeria has been very kind to me. Besides seeing what is happening in this tournament, they have taken me around town and this is my first trip to West Africa and I really look forward to coming to Nigeria. I will come independently, maybe very soon and I will stay longer and one thing I will like to learn very quickly is the pidgin English … oga…oga, I love it.