Over 500 junior tennis players displayed their skills in the first leg of the Tennis Players Parents Association Universal Tennis Rating tournament, with several emerging talents booking their spots in the national finale, KUKURUKU Sports Hours reports.
The regional competitions, which took place across nine cities from February 19-23, featured boys and girls competing in the 12, 14, 16 and youth categories, with winners and runners-up advancing to the second phase of regionals.
At the Minna centre, youngster David Kwange claimed the Boys’ U-12 title ahead of Yusuf Alhassan, while Bimbo Olowu emerged as the Girls’ U-12 champion with Faiza Abdulmali finishing second.
However, it was in the Boys’ U-16 category that the biggest upset occurred, as Amir Mohammed, fresh from winning the Adewale Isa Memorial Junior Tennis Championship in Lagos, stunned the more experienced Shamsudeen Bello to take the title, further cementing his status as one of Nigeria’s most promising junior talents.
In Ilorin, special mention was reserved for Samuel Akinrinade, who travelled from Offa to participate in the tournament. Though he lost to local talent Abdulakeem Muhammed in the Boys’ U-12 final, his performance exceeded expectations.
The Lagos regionals saw siblings Gabriel and David Igbinovia emerge as champions in the Boys’ U-14 and U-12 categories, respectively, while the Apapa Tennis Club dominated the youth category with Bright Emmanuel defeating her sister Justina in the girls’ final.
TPPA President Segun Aluko had earlier explained the tournament’s significance in helping players earn UTR points to boost their chances of securing college scholarships.
The idea is for the kids to play regular tournaments across different times of the year,” Aluko said.
We are also conscious of their academics, so we don’t fix the tournaments at times that will impede their studies.”
In Owerri, pre-tournament favourites were stunned as Chibuike Ezeah claimed the Boys’ U-12 title over Ebuka Onyemaechi, while Ezichi Ewuzie upset top eastern junior Samuel Ndem in the Boys’ U-14 final.
The Kano centre witnessed particular excitement as the TPPA-UTR tournament reached the region for the first time. Yusuf Abdulrasheed defeated Sani Walid in the Boys’ U-16 final, which was attended by prominent sports figures from the state.
National junior sensations also shone in various centres, with Lorelay Holendorff dominating the Girls’ U-16 final in Benin, while Goodluck Tersoo confirmed his status as one of Nigeria’s top U-12 players by clinching the title in Abuja.
Leading tennis coach Paul Moses had previously compared the TPPA event to the London Tennis Association system, emphasizing its importance for player development.
The beauty of the UTR tournament organized by the TPPA is that these kids get to play more tournaments, which is very essential for every tennis player, especially at that stage,” Moses said.
They have to keep playing, and when they do, they will definitely improve, and their rankings will also be a way to measure this growth over the years.
The second leg of regionals is scheduled for March, with the national grand finale to be held in Lagos in April.
