Jasper Hüsson, a German resident in Abuja, Nigeria’s Federal Capital, has revealed why he started a junior tennis tournament at the Abuja Country Club.
Hüsson spoke with Nigeria Tennis Live during a recent visit to Abuja, where he expressed his delight at growing junior tennis in Abuja, especially at the Country Club where he plays tennis with other members.
According to him, organizing the tournament is from a place of passion, but beyond that, he noted that it was aimed at developing tennis in Nigeria.
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“I have been living in Abuja, Nigeria since I arrived from Germany four years ago and I started playing here at the Abuja Country Club when I got here.
“I love the sport and I’ve been playing at the Abuja Country Club. When I saw the players here, I thought to start a junior tournament for them. We started with the boys and then moved to the girls.
“The whole idea is to develop tennis in Nigeria and to encourage the kids to play more tennis. I know what it means beyond the sport, to give the kids a place to go to. I know how the coaches have the boys pick balls to earn a living, so I know what this tournament will mean to them. I want to continue to support the club and tennis,” the German expatriate told our correspondent.
Hüsson further revealed the future plans he has for Nigerian tennis beyond just developing tennis at the grassroots level.
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According to him: “What’s more important is to make it for both for the boys and girls. While the boys are only from the club, the girls come from different parts of Abuja to participate.
“If I leave Nigeria, I definitely want to continue supporting the Country Club with these tournaments. We also want to reach out to the German Tennis Clubs to support the Country Club and the kids here with rackets, balls and tools”.
The five-day Jasper Junior Tennis Tournament served off officially on Sunday, 15 December and will wrap up on Friday, 20 December with the winner getting N70,000 while the runner-up gets N50,000.
Nigeria Tennis Live will provide updates from the tournament holding inside the Abuja Country Club, Life Camp, as it progresses