After their splendid performances which saw them dominate most of the tournaments across the continent last year, Nigerian players will be the cynosure of all eyes as the 2015 ITF West and Central Africa Junior Championship serves off in Lome, Togo from January 9-14.
The eleven-man team, under the tutelage of Mohammed Ubale has been perfecting strategies for yet another impressive outing since the start of the week in Lagos. They are scheduled to depart for the tournament on Thursday.
The players are Martins Abamu, Godsgift Timibra, Michael Ayoola, Oshewa Michael Mathew Abamu (all boys) while the girls players are Angel McCleod and Adetayo Adetunji, Oyinlola Quadri, Lolade Holmes, Nigeria Tennis Federation (NTF) President, Engr. Sani Ndanusa stated that the players were chosen based on the combination of their rankings and performance in 2014.
He disclosed that the mission of the team is to consolidate on Nigeria’s outstanding performance last year.
“We are looking forward to a great tournament in Togo and by extension the whole year ahead because we want to achieve a better result than what we had last year which no doubt ranks as one of our best in recent years. Our target is to raise the bar further by posting a far more impressive result this year,” Ndanusa declared.
Nigeria started last year by dominating the West and Central African Zonal Elimination Championship held in Abuja with 12 of its players bagging the zone’s 20 slots in the African Championship held in Nairobi, Kenya.
More eye-catching performances by Nigerian players were to follow at ITF junior tournaments in Togo and Benin where, among other of his compatriots, youngster, Joseph Imeh launched himself into prominence by winning the boy’s U-18 title in Lome and he reached the final in Cotonou a week later to move up considerably on the ITF junior rankings.
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