168 Tennis Players Jostle For Honours In Lagos

No fewer than 168 players are registered for this year’s Central Bank of

Nigeria Junior Tennis championships which served off on Tuesday at the Lagos lawn Tennis Club, Lagos.

The championships for boys and girls between 10 years and 18 years, are now in their fifth edition.

The Director of the International Tennis Academy (ITA), Kaduna, Godwin Kienka, told newsmen that the championships are aimed towards providing a structure to develop talents.

Kienka, who handled the accreditation of the participants said that “this age grade championships will help to discover, nurture and groom talents for the future.

“The CBN plans to support the best eight players in the tournament in every way possible to become future professionals who will be recognised in the world rankings”.

He said that to achieve this, participants who come out victors in the championships and other ITA junior circuit players, would be picked to participate in national trials to garner experience.

In the opening game played in the U-10 boys category, Sikiru Rilwan defeated Tabalia Babasanda in a pro-set 9-7, while in the U-12 boys Aldre Toahib defeated  Fawas Ogunmade 9-1.