All is now set for the very promising final of the NCC Tennis League Cup between Kaduna-based surprise finalists, Team Offikwu, and defending champions Team Tombim of Abuja. The match is scheduled to take place on Saturday Dec. 17 and Sunday Dec. 18 at the Lagos Lawn Tennis Club Race Course.
Professor Yemi Osinbajo, the vice president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is expected to be at the grand finale starting 12 noon on Sunday as special guest of honour.
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| Professor Yemi Osinbajo, Nigeria’s vice president, is expected as the special guest of honour in Lagos on Sunday night. |
Also expected at the grand finale are, the former vice president of Nigeria, His Excellency Sir Alex Ekwueme, Minister of Youth and Sports, Barrister Solomon Dalung as well as the Minister of Communications Barrister Adebayo Shittu.
The Chief Executive of NCC, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta is attending as the chief host.
Team Offikwu qualified for the finals following a hard fought battle against Team Civil Defence – last year’s runners-up.
Sylvester Emmanuel, the highest ranked Nigerian on the ATP Circuit who was the star player in the semifinal would have to reproduce the same form against national champion Moses Michael and Christian Paul of Team Tombim.
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| Can Sylvester Emmanuel reproduce the ingenuity that secured his team a final place slot this weekend? |
In the ladies singles scheduled for Saturday, Aanu Aiyegbusi who upset national champion
Christie Agugbom in straight sets in the semifinals will have another formidable opponent, Sarah Adegoke, a former national champion to deal with.
Meanwhile the third place match between Team FCT and Team Civil Defence will serve off Thursday at 10 am at the same venue with two men’s singles, a ladies singles and the men’s doubles.
The third place tie which will have two former champions – Shehu Lawal and Abdulmumuni Babalola – playing for the Civil Defence team against Thomas Otu and Emmanuel Sunday of Team FCT – both semifinalists at the Dala Hard Court,
The third place match, an appetiser for the grand finale, ends on Friday with the reverse singles and the mixed doubles.
“It is a chance for us to redeem ourselves,” said Civil Defence team captain Sunday Jonah.
“We now know that in sports anything can happen and we would approach this match more professionally.”
The winning team is expected to get N7 million, the runner-up team N5 million, third place N3 million and the fourth place team N2 million.