The first leg of the Tennis Players Parents Association (TPPA) UTR tournament has ended across the regions where matches took place last weekend.
The regionals were held from Wednesday, 19 February to Sunday, 23 February in Lagos, Owerri, Ibadan, Abeokuta, Minna, Abuja, Kano, Edo and Ilorin.
Players competed in boys and girls 12, 14, 16 & youth categories during the first leg of the eventful TPPA-UTR championship which had a lot of first timers across the regions.
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MINNA
At the Minna centre of the championship, Bimbo Olowu emerged as the Girls U-12 champion while Faiza Abdulmali came second just as emerging youngster, David Kwange took the Boys U-12 title, leaving Yusuf Alhassan in second place.
The Girls and Boys U-14 titles were won respectively by Bridget Crown and Aliyu Salihu while Jamilua John and Adekunle Love settled for the runner-up slots respectively. Destiny Tomizayi beat Sarah Ibrahim to the Girls’ U-16 title but it was the Boys U-16 that ended with drama.
Amir Mohammed, winner of the Adewale Isa Memorial Junior Tennis Championship in Lagos, stunned his more experienced opponent, Shamsudeen Bello, to take the title. He proved just why he has been unplayable in the last one year on the Nigerian junior tennis scene.
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ILORIN
In Ilorin, it was a festival of ‘new takers’ showing their talents and how much they’ve improved over the years with a special praise reserved for Samuel Akinrinade, who traveled to the centre from Offa.
The special talent from the State, Abdulakeem Muhammed was the Boys’ U-12 champion but he was made to fight for his win by Akinrinade who exceeded everyone’s expectations. Khadijat Wuraola came out tops in the Girls’ U-12 event while Amirat Muhammed came second.
Khalid Isamotu beat Akinwale Ajayi to the Boys’ U-14 title while Mariam Muhammed got the better of Sophiat Raheem to go home with the Girls’ U-14 winner’s medal. In the Boys’ U-16 final, Folaranmi Fafowora won the title at the expense of Adam Isamotu just as vastly improved Ziyyadat Wuraola won the Girls’ U-16 title after beating Afeezat Mustapha.
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ABEOKUTA
Many of the regular ‘suspects’ at the Abeokuta end of the regionals ensured that they lived up to the pre-tournament expectations and hype.
Kushimo Quzeem, one of the top juniors in Ogun State, led the pack in the Boys’ U-16 as Sunkami Oduwaye had to settle for second spot just as Garuba Taiwo, winner of the Rock Tennis Foundation Junior Tennis Championship in 2024, secured the Boys’ 14 title, leaving Beloved Oluwande with the runner-up medal.
Omoyinka Ayinla deservedly won the Girls’ U-14 title, pipping Oyinkansola Adejumobi to the second spot while Kaosara Akindele denied Kimberly Ogundeyi her first UTR title in Abeokuta, as she won the Girls U-12 title.
Talented Friday Testimony beat Emmanuel Ogungbe in a repeat of their match at the 2025 edition of the Rock Tennis Foundation Junior Championship, to take the Boys’ U-12 title and land himself a spot in the Nationals.
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LAGOS
Gabriel and David Igbinovia were among the winners when the Lagos end of the TPPA-UTR Regionals was concluded inside the tennis section of the National Stadium in Surulere, Lagos.
Gabriel, the elder Igbinovia, won the Boys’ U-14 category after emerging as the top player in his group while Peter Ubiebi took home the runner-up title. The younger Igbinovia was also emphatic in his final match against fellow Lagos Lawn Tennis Club counterpart, Mohammed Okandeji to win the Boys’ U-12 title.
Joy Emmanuel defeated Feranmi Adeojo to win the Girls’ U-12 title, while Ndifreke Emmanuel stepped up to emerge the Girls’ U-14 champion at the expense of Fareehah Adams.
A keenly contested Boys’ U-16 final saw Lagos Country Club emerging talent, Nathaniel Aluko shake off rival, Heman Afaramai, from the Ikeja Police College Tennis Club, to emerge the winner.
The Youth Category of the tournament was dominated by players from Apapa Tennis Club as Bright Emmanuel defeated her sister, Justina, to win the Girls’ title while Jeremiah Benjamin beat Ayomide Oduwaye to win the Boys’ youth category.
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OWERRI
From Owerri, the pre-tournament favourites were stunned by some of the other youngsters who stepped up their game.
Chibuike Ezeah ensured that he wrestled the Boys’ U-12 title from Ebuka Onyemaechi while his female counterpart, Ebube Otuka won gallantly against Ginika Uwaleke.
The Girls’ U-14 winner emerged when Adachukwu Otuka did all she could to stop Blessing Nwosu without fail.
Samuel Ndem, the top junior from the east was beaten to the Boys’ U-14 title at the TPPA-UTR tournament by a much improved Ezichi Ewuzie. Chibueze Nweke defeated Ifechukwu Ezeah in the Boys’ U-16 final while Chinasa Lucky was the Girls’ U-16 champion after beating Divine Ndem.
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KANO
The excitement from Kano knew no bound as the TPPA-UTR tournament was reaching their region for the first time and they made the best of it without fail.
Yusuf Abdulrasheed defeated Sani Walid in the Boys’ U-16 finale which was watched by prominent people around sports and tennis in the State.
In the Boys’ U-12 final, Yusuf Muazam was clinical enough to take out Abubakar Habib and emerge winner while Hussaini Abdullahi was crowned the Boys’ U-14 champion after beating Mahmud Khalifa.
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BENIN
Despite their initial delays and challenges, the Benin Centre lived up to expectations and gathered the kids for the TPPA-UTR competition.
Osawonyi Idehen won the Boys’ U-12 title after getting the better of Zoe Usoh while emerging talent from Benin Gertrude Holzendorff won the Girls’ U-12 title at the expense of Osaretin Okhomina.
Great Bugor defeated Osaretin Oyegun in the Boys’ U-14 final just as Prosper Ohimai outplayed Ben Ose Omokhagbele in the Girls’ U-14 title deciding match.
The Boys’ U-16 title went to Armstrong Usoh after besting Osaretin Oyegun in the final while national junior tennis sensation, Lorelay Holendorff was too strong for Precious Ohimai in the Girls’ U-16 final clash.
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IBADAN
In Ibadan, the competitiveness brought the best out of the youngsters in the region with youngster Mabubat Rasaki emerging an undisputed champion in the Girls’ U-12 category, defeating another talented player Barakat Ganiyu.
One of Nigeria’s top U-12 male players, Ashim Ghazal had no problem in his match against Kehinde Afeez as he won convincingly while John Israel battled Awe David before emerging victorious in the Boys’ U-14 final.
Onyekachi Ogumjiofor, one of Nigeria’s brightest youngsters, won the Boys’ U-16 title when he defeated another incredibly talented player, Monday Segun in the keenly contested finale.
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ABUJA
The Mambilla Barracks in Abuja played host to the TPPA-UTR Regionals in the nation’s capital and it was nothing short of entertaining and exciting.
National U-12 Boys’ super player, Goodluck Tersoo made no mistake in winning the title, leaving his opponent, Mark Bako, in second place. Ivana Abu, playing in her first ever final, put up an intense fight against Charity Felix but it was not enough as the latter clinched the Girls’ U-12 title.
Sharon Danjuma, one of the national youngsters to watch out for, won the Boys’ U-14 title after defeating Wisdom Onche while Salvation Alex took the Girls’ U-14 title after an impressive win against Blessing Peter.
Abu Umar was one of the toughest players from the Boys’ U-16 tie at the Abuja centre, but he was stopped by Marvelous Bolarinwa, who won the title in a close encounter over the weekend.
Action is still expected at the Jos, Port-Harcourt and Uyo Centres as they will be having their regional tournament on the first week of March, 2025.
The winners and the runner-ups at the regionals of the TPPA-UTR tournament are expected to compete in the second phase of the regionals to determine who comes to Lagos for the grand finale.
Nigeria Tennis Live will keep all our readers updated on all the developments ahead of the National finale which is scheduled to hold sometime in April, 2025.
