Squash Federation Lays Emphasis On Age-Group Competitions

The Nigeria Squash Rackets Federation (NSRF), has said that
it was shifting emphasis to organising more age-group competitions, to enable
the federation to replace its ageing players.

The federation’s secretary, Evelyn Fabunmi, disclosed this
during an interview with newsmen in Lagos.

She said that the federation would begin the age-group
competitions with an U-19 closed tournament.

“The age-group competition for boys and girls will afford the younger ones to gain more experience and will also enable the federation to discover talented replacements,” Fabunmi said.

She lamented that the federation lacked age-group
competitions, saying that the situation had greatly relegated junior squash
players to the background.

“The older ones are well-travelled in the game; so the likes
of Jonathan Peters, Tunde Ajagbe, Sodiq Taiwo, Yemisi Taiwo, amongst many
others, need to be replaced.

“If we do not start to find possible replacements for our
ageing national players now, then there is the possibility that the game will
suffer at the professional level.

“We have to discover, develop and encourage talented players
in their young ages and expose them through competitions,” she said.

Fabunmi praised the sponsors of the just-ended Cargolux Open
and the Lagos Governor’s Opens for involving the U-19 and U-16 age-categories
in their tournaments.

“Tournament like the Cargolux Interclub Open and the Lagos
Governor’s Open that involve the youths are laudable.

“If we can have many of such competitions holding throughout
the country, then it will really bring progress to the game in Nigeria,” she
said.

The secretary, however, urged parents and guardians to allow
their children and wards to get actively involved in the game.

She also charged corporate organisations and public-spirited
individuals to sponsor squash competitions.