Host Nigeria got off to a flying start on Sunday with most of her players bagging victories as the 2016 ITF/CAT Africa
Junior Championships West & Central Qualifiers served off at the Tennis Centre of the National Stadium, Abuja.
In the Girls’14&u, Marylove Edwards made a winning debut by beating Patricia Nyarko of Ghana 6-1,6-0 and she was
emulated by Sani Musa, who edged Ivorian Soulemane Quattara 6-2,4-6,7-6(4) in the Boys’ 14&u.
Other Nigerians that won their opening round-robin games are Fortune Joseph, Toyin Asogba, Peter Lawal, Gabriel Inyang and
Daniel Adeleye,
2014 ITF/ CAT Top 8 Junior Masters fifth-ranked player, Oyinlomo Quadri, Angel McLeod, Christopher Itodo and South Africa-based Adetayo Adetunji will be leading Nigeria’s quest for a third successive title as the 2016 ITF West & Central Africa Junior Circuit gets underway in Abuja on Sunday.
According to the Nigeria Tennis Federation (NTF), the quartet, who also played major roles in Nigeria’s winning outings at the last two editions of the tournament in 2014 and 2015, will lead a 24-player team which also has Bulus Christopher, Michael Oshewa, Gabriel Friday, Marylove Edwards, Suleiman Ibrahim, Daniel Adeleye, Timipre Maxwell and Rebecca Peter in Team A.
Peter Lawal, David Amusu, Favour Moses, Mariam Balogun, Sani Musa, Saminu Abubakar, Toyin Asogba, Chidinma Eze, Filippo Troimbi, Gabriel Richard, Fortune Joseph and Oyza Yakubi are in the team B of the host nation.
Nigeria’s coach Mohammed Ubale expressed confidence in the team to retain the regional title but stressed that more importantly, the country need to clinch the maximum eight spots available for the country to the main tournament billed for Pretoria, South Africa in March.
Angel Mcleod, daughter of the deceased, Beauty Mcloed
Meanwhile the NTF has stated that there will be no Local Organizing Committee for the tournament due to shortage of funds.
The event will now be coordinated by a team led by the Vice President of the Confederation of African Tennis Zone 2, Mr. Yemi Owoseni. He will be supported by a technical team which has Bulus Hussein, Rotimi Akinloye, Saidu Musa and NTF secretary general, Gloria Ekwempu-Chinwuko.
Benin, Cameroun, Cote d’Ivoire, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Mali, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo will compete alongside Nigeria at the tournament billed for the Package B of the National Stadium, Abuja.
Sixteen out of the 39 players in the Nigerian camp for the 2016 ITF/ West & Central Africa Junior Circuit which will hold from January 9 -17 in Abuja will be decamped on Friday leaving the team with the final 24 players that will represent the country in the 12-nation tournament.
Nigeria junior tennis head coach, Mohammed Ubale informed that South Africa-based Adetayo Adetunji will be joining the team on Thursday as the host nation steps-up preparations for the tournament it has won its last two editions; Abuja 2014 and Lome 2015.
“It has been a very competitive camping exercise as all the players showed determination to make the fine list. Those that were invited for the first time gave a good account of themselves because they realized that the AJC is a huge platform to launch their tennis career,” he said.
Angel Mcleod
Meanwhile, Angel McLeod, who is one of Nigeria’s medal hopefuls, will be given a two-day break (Thursday and Friday) to attend the burial of her mum in Anambra .
“Angel has really been on top of her game and we are very much delighted with her performance. She knows that is what her mum wants her to do; to play professional tennis. Hopefully, after the AJC, she will move to the ITF Training Centre in Morocco to further her playing career,” Ubale added.
The LOC disclosed that Senegal and Gabon are among the first set of countries that will be arriving for the tournament as they are scheduled to arrive on Thursday while Ghana, Togo, Cameroun, Sierra Leone are due to arrive on Friday.
Cote d’Ivoire, Gambia, Mali, Benin, Liberia are the other teams that will be featuring in the tournament which is in three categories – 12&Under, 14&Under and 16&Under.
The main Africa Junior Circuit is billed for Pretoria, South Africa from March 8-17, 2016.
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