Toluwalase Agunbiade has expressed shock after being named the most improved female player at the recently-concluded SAPETRO Futures Tennis Championship in Lagos.
The most improved player’s trophy is always presented to the player whose performance has improved from the previous edition of the competitions organized by the International Tennis Academy (ITA).
And despite not reaching the finals, after losing to Goodnews Aina of Ekiti State in the semifinal of the SAPETRO event, Agunbiade was deemed the most improved female player at the event.
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The Calabar-based tennis talent has had a very eventful year, though, participating in some of the biggest international junior tennis competitions around.
Agunbaide played a couple of J30 and J60 tournaments in Abuja and Ghana, reaching the quarterfinals in some of them and acquiring valuable ITF points in the process.
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The look of shock and disbelief was all over her face when the most improved female player was announced and she was to step out for her award.
“I was just standing here, looking and they called my name. I was not even expecting it,” she said to her friends after receiving the award presented by Shehu Dikko, Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC) during the closing ceremony in Lagos.
Onyekachi Ogumjiofor, one of the junior tennis talents from Oyo State, took home the award as the most improved male player after putting up a fantastic show to reach the final of the championship in Lagos.
Godwin Kienka, director of the ITA, organizers of the event, who described the award as the most important and most prestigious on the ITA Junior Circuit, also encouraged the kids to go for more ahead of the next tennis season.