Players from the Federal Capital Territory, Ondo, Ekiti, Edo, Rivers, AkwaIbom and hosts Lagos states were among champions at the 13th Central Bank of Nigeria Junior Tennis Championship, which ended at the Lagos Lawn Tennis Club, Onikan at the weekend.
Playing in the boys 10 and under category, Yohana Yakubu from FCT defeated hard-fighting Arwal Jaji from Lagos 8-10, 10-7, 10-8 to emerge champion while Lore Lax Holzendorf beat Esther Ehimebe 2-1, 10-5, 2-10, 10-5.
The boys U-12 was won by the sensational Seun Ogunshaki from Ekiti, while Nene Yakubu of Lagos outclassed Favour Amaechi from Rivers to claim the girls 12 and under title. Also victorious was Akwa Ibom’s David Ekpeyong, who ran home with the boys 14 and under trophy, when he defeated Oyo’s Ganiyu Mubarak 10-4, 10-2.
Suleiman Ibrahim from Abuja beat David Dawariye from Rivers 10-4, 7-10,10-8 in a hard-fought U-16 boys final battle to come out tops even as Omolade Aderemi from Ondo conquered Ekiti’s Omolayo Bamidele to emerge as the U-16 girls queen.
Serena Teluwo(Lagos) won the U-14 girls by defeating Abuja’s Salamatu Haruna 10-5, 10-7 in the final.
Speaking at the final ceremony, Isaac Okorafor, Director, Corporate Communications Department, CBN, who represented the CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, reaffirmed the bank’s resolve to ensure better future for Nigerian youths.
Okorafor said the event, which is open to boys and girls within 10 and 18 years since its inception in 2006, has remained a very important event on the national tennis calendar, hence the need to maintain the objectives which include ensuring that young talents are discovered early enough and nurtured to limelight while establishing a strong transition platform to the senior category.
Copyright PUNCH.
All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH.
Contact: [email protected]
