Kehinde Ajayi First CBN Open Winner Passes On, Odizor Mourns

Nigeria Tennis Live can report that Coach Kehinde Ajayi, the first man to win the Senior Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Tennis Open Championship, is dead.

As at the time of filing this report, pur correspondent could not ascertain when he passed on, but the news broke in the early hours of Friday, 27 August, 2021.

The lively and bubbly tennis coach was said to have passed on in a hospital in Mowe after going into coma where he was being treated for diabetes.

Coach Ajayi is fondly remembered to have won the first ever edition of the CBN Open in 1979, a feat which he repeated in 1980.

He was an ever present figure at the annual competition, and was always recognized for maintaining his agility while attending the competition as a former national champion.

Breaking the news of his death also was a former national champion and Nigerian legend, Nduka Odizor, who posted about the incident on his WhatsApp status.

Odizor wrote: “Coach Kehinde Ajayi… Rest In Peace (RIP).”

Kayode Savage, the assistant national coach for wheelchair tennis, and reacted to the news of Coach Ajayi’s demise.

The man called KK wrote: “May your gentle soul rest in peace, Coach Kehinde Ajayi.”

He also added: “it’s a black Friday for the Nigerian Tennis Family.”

Although we could not ascertain his age, Coach Ajayi was reportedly in his 70s before he kicked the bucket.

His demise makes it the fourth or fifth time the Nigeria Tennis family will be mourning this year after the passing of other tennis coaches, umpire within the same period.

Details of the demise and burial plans will be made public as soon as the family makes it public.