Nigeria
commenced hostilities with other African countries as the 1st ITF/CAT
12 and Under African Junior Championship served off yesterday in
Casablanca, Morocco. Nigerian players were scheduled to confront the ITF
team late yesterday in their opening round-robin matches...
The
Nigerian team, formed by Iye Onoja, Oiza Yakubu and Serena Teluwo,
sealed their places in the week-long team event at the West and Central
African qualifiers in Lagos in April alongside Benin Republic.
The
team departed Lagos via Maroc Air at the weekend and coach Margaret
Olagundoye expressed confidence that the girls will do well at the event
which will feature 10 nations.
“This
is a new concept from the ITF designed at fast-tracking the young
talents. Our team is very young but we are hopeful of having a very good
outing,” said Olagundoye, a former Nigeria international.
While
Onoja and Yakubu have been under vigorous training, the tournament will
serve as a big test for Teluwo who as part of preparation went on a
three-week training programme in London last month.
The
10-year-old daughter of former VIP of Lagos FC owner, Adewale Teluwo
also recently in Lagos had a two-week training with top Spanish junior
coach, Jose Velasco, who is now the head coach of Saudi Arabia junior
tennis, as part of build up for her first international tournament
outside Nigeria.
In
a related development, Nigeria will also be striving to continue her
impressive showings in junior tennis as a number of the country’s junior
players battle at the ITF 18 and Under Circuit in Benin Republic and
Togo which also served off yesterday.
The
tournament, which will be in three legs will see youngster Oyinlomo
Barakat Quadri aiming a repeat of her record-setting fest last year,
where she won all the legs at the U16 level catapulting her to the top
400 in the junior rankings having been previously unranked.
Christopher
Bulus, Michael Osewa, Martins Abamu, Michael Ayoola (boys), Angel
McLeod and Adetayo Adetunji, a quarter finalist at the 2017 Commonwealth
Youth Games in the Bahamas are the other Nigerians at the tournament
which will also attract players from the US, Europe and Asia.
No comments: