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The annual CBN Junior Tennis Championship will kick off on Monday (today) at the Lagos Lawn Tennis Club, Onikan, Lagos, the sportsbay.com reports
The tournament which is in its 15th edition will feature players competing in three age groups – boys and girls 16s, 14s and 12s.
The International Tennis Academy, organisers of the championship which last year celebrated an outstanding performance of the juniors at the CBN Senior championships in Abuja, said extra care have been taken to ensure that all the players are “safe and comfortable.”
“Tennis lends itself easily to social distancing and all extant protocols and with the Lagos Lawn Tennis Club, which is a 3,000 capacity tennis stadium, it should not be a problem managing 120 participants,” a statement from the ITA said.
“We are expecting a very high level of competition as reports from coaches and parents all over the country say the players are highly motivated to work harder following the achievements of their mates at the Senior Championships in Abuja last November.”
Last years’ finals featured exciting and keenly contested matched to the delight of all spectators. In the Boys 16 and under category, David Ekpeyong emerged winner while Mary Udiffa emerged winner in the Girls 16 and under category.
Sugun Ogunsakin and Nene Yakubu won the Boys 14 and under and Girls 14 and under categories respectively. Seyi Ogunsaki won the Boys 12 and under category.
Highlight of the event was the presentation of the “Supporter of Sports Development in Nigeria” Award to the CBN by the International Tennis Academy (ITA) for its unwavering support to tennis in Nigeria.
“The boys are also doing very well, getting to quarterfinal and semifinal places,” the statement said, adding, “we can now say the objectives of the junior event have been largely achieved.
“We would now look forward to launching the best of them unto the professional circuit to battle for ATP points to move up the world rankings.
The one-week tournament ends on March 27.
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