As the 16th Governor’s Cup Lagos Tennis Championship gets closer, International Tennis Federation, ITF, has fixed 22 September for registration deadline for the first leg (Futures 5) of the tournament which holds at the Lagos Lawn Tennis Club, Onikan.
The ITF says on its website that players willing to take part in the competition should register on or before 14:00GMT of 22 September, while any of the players who have registered and willing to withdraw from the tournament can do so on or before 14:00GMT of 27 September.
The qualifying matches for Futures 5 (first leg) will be played between 8 and 9 October, while the Main Draws for the singles and doubles events, for both men and women’s categories, will be played between 10 and 14 October.
This year, the players coming from major countries of the world will be jostling for a total prize money of 100,000 dollars, an increment as against 80,000 dollars being earned by winners in previous editions.
Meanwhile, all preparation for a hitch free tournament is ongoing with the chairman of the Local Organising Committee, LOC, Chief Pius Akinyelure saying that the city of Lagos is eagerly awaiting to host
the emerging tennis stars coming from different countries of the world.
President of Lagos Lawn Tennis Club, Barrister Rotimi Edu said the facilities in the oldest tennis club in Nigeria have been improved upon, adding that the club will wear a new-look when the competition starts.
The Governor’s Cup Lagos Tennis Championship has been organised annually to celebrate the sitting governor in Lagos State since the administration of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. This year’s edition will be the second under the government of Mr Akinwunmi Ambode.
It has over the years attracted over 400 players from more than 50 countries of the world at every edition.
It would be recalled that 17-year-old French lady, Tessah Andrianjaftrimo and Aldin Setkic of Bosnia respectively won the women and men’s singles of the first leg of 15th edition held in 2015, while Dutchman Antal Van Der Duim and Conny Perrin of Switzerland respectively won the men and women’s singles of the second leg.
The Governor’s Cup has been sponsored over the years by FCMB and Etisalat Nigeria and others such as Deux Projects Ltd, Lagos State Internal Revenue Service, LIRS, CCECC, Julius Berger Plc, Naston Ltd, LASACO Plc. and a host of other private individuals.