FAAN Club tennis tourney ends today

The 3rd Annual FAAN Tennis Club U-14 Tournament will end today at the FAAN Quarters in Lagos, organisers of the event have said.

The tournament, featuring about 50 players, served off on Monday with support from SuperSport through the pay-TV channel’s Let’s Play developmental programme.

Captain of FAAN Club, Tennis section,Segun Sopitan, the tournament was designed to groom future tennis champions for Nigeria.

“This is our age-grade developmental tennis event. The first and second editions were held in 2012 and 2013, but the outbreak of the Ebola Deadly Virus in some West African countries did not allow the third edition to hold in 2014, so it’s holding this year,” Sopitan said.

“We got the participants through the various tennis clubs scattered across Lagos. Previous editions attracted players from outside Lagos. The event is strictly for the under-14 players.

“Some players that emerged from the past editions are plying their trade abroad. We have a player who is now based in South Africa, another one is 11-year-old Marylove Edwards, who is now playing in the International Tennis Federation junior circuit. We also have 12-year-old OyinQuadre, who is also in the ITF junior circuit.”

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Sopitan said there is no monetary reward for the participants, but the winners will get tennis kits.

“The overall winner will also get to go to South Africa for further training at a tennis academy. If the player eventually does well, he or she will get a scholarship to study there,” he said.

“SuperSport has been a massive supporter of the competition. The competition fits into their programme, Let’s Play, so the company gives us free coverage and refreshment.

“If the Nigeria Tennis Federation can pick up this initiative, Nigeria can do well in international tennis. We’re involving the NTF in some of our programmes because we want to get ITF rated in the future.”