Samuel Ndem: First Time In Azimuth, First Time In Final

Not many would have heard of Samuel Ndem, the Imo-based tennis youngster had he decided to stay back and not compete at the Azimuth Junior Tennis Championship in Lagos.

But his sheer determination and resilience made him find his way to the Centre of Excellence in what is described as his first competition outside the eastern part of the country.

The 11-year-old player was one of the winners of the regional UTR Tennis Championship organized by the Tennis Parents Players Association (TPPA), and had been dreaming of coming to Lagos for the Nationals before he learnt about the Azimuth championship.

After entering for and attending the event, the number of players at the competition gave him reasons to doubt if he would be able to make it into the money-spinning stages.

“I was scared o, when I saw many people here. I thought I wouldn’t be able to reach anywhere, but I kept trying my best,” Ndem told Nigeria Tennis Live on the sidelines of the competition.

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But he kept fighting on the court and reached the final of the U-12 category of Nigeria’s biggest national junior championship at his first time of calling.

“I was very happy, no, I am very happy,” he said when asked how he felt by reaching the final.

“I had not been to Lagos before this competition, so, I didn’t even know what to expect, but I just came here to compete with other players, and thank God I’m now in the final,” he added.

The winners in each of the categories will be going home with an education grant of N100,000 each, and the JSS2 student will not be an exemption should he win.

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When asked what he would do with the grant, he noted that he’s been out of school for a while just to prepare for this tournament.

“I’ll probably use the money to pay for my school fees since I’ve been out of school before coming for this competition,” he said.

Competing against such quality U-12 players from every part of the country would have been enough for Ndem, but reaching the final is beyond a dream come true.

He will have to be at his very best when he takes on Chukwubuikem Amasiani, a relentless junior player, in the final of the competition on Saturday, 20 January, 2024.

Win or lose, congratulations are in order for the young player who dared to dream and follow his passion religiously.