Players from a minimum of 20 states are expected in Lagos for the first national junior tennis championship of the new tennis season, Nigeria Tennis Live can confirm.
The Azimuth Shipping Lines Junior Tennis Championship is hosting talented youngsters for the fourth year and the competition seems to have grown bigger than the previous editions as more players are keen on participating in the age-grade competition.
Players like Serena Teluwo, Mary Udoffa, Seun Ogunshakin, Mubarak Ganiyu, Gabriel Inyang, Nene Yakubu, among others, have risen through the ranks at the tournament sponsored by Captain Stephen Owolabi Martins, MD/CEO AZIMUTH Shipping Lines Limited, and this year’s edition looks to be spreading to other states.
In a brief chat with Nigeria Tennis Live, Richard Inyang, the tournament director, informed our correspondent that the organizers are particularly excited about this year’s edition, especially as Covid-19 prevented them from hosting the 2021 edition.
“But we are back this year, and I can authoritatively inform you that players will be glad they participated in this year’s edition,” Inyang, one of the coaches at the Victoria Garden City (VGC) club explained.
“Already, we have players from about 20 states, including Lagos, showing interest in the tournament, and this clearly shows that the competition is not something that should be taken with levity.
“It is an age grade championship and we are very strict, direct and open with our screening to be sure that players are actually the age they claim to be, and to ensure that the tournament lives up to its billing of discovering talents for the country,” he added.
The experienced coach also noted that the competition has the full backing of the Nigeria Tennis Federation (NTF) as they will be sending a representative to the venue of the competition to offer moral support and to also cheer the players.
Nigeria Tennis Live gathered that the tournament which will hold from Monday, 10 January, will climax on Saturday, 15 January, 2022, inside the Lagos Lawn Tennis Club, Onikan, Lagos.
Coaches, players, officials, spectators are expected to observe all Covid-19 protocols to prevent a contraction of the virus which is brewing with series of variants at the moment.