Nigerian tennis players yearning for tournaments and matches to sharpen their skills will have excess matches as the NCC Tennis League looks set to run through a very tight schedule culminating in the grand finale on December 9
With the Dala Hard Court and the RainOil Tennis Championships coming in between, Nigeria’s senior tennis circuit is loaded with events.
The NCC Tennis League which served off in Abuja in September will have matches in five centres this weekend.
Lagos will feature two ties with newcomers Team Leadway Assurance hosting Team Next Generation from Abuja at the National Stadium Tennis Centre, while Team CBN Futures take on Team Kalotari from Port Harcourt at the Luik Tennis Club in Lekki.
Warri which is the home of Team Orofina will host Team Anambra while Team Offikwu of Kaduna will host Team SBL of Jos.
The last match of the weekend will take place in Ado Ekiti where a reinforced Team Yetade will be up against debutant Team Luik from Lekki, Lagos.
Godwin Kienka, director of the ITA which runs the competition said, “We are very happy that we can have these many matches in the last quarter of the year. The players will definitely raise their fitness and skill levels from continuous practice and tournament play. That can only bode well for tennis development in Nigeria.”
This weekend’s ties will be followed by Tuesday and Wednesday schedules taking place in six locations with the star matches taking place in Lagos and Port-Harcourt.
Team Leadway Assurance which has current national women’s champion, Sarah Adegoke and former champions, Babalola Abdulmumin and Clifford Enosoregbe, will host their second match in a row against Team Offikwu which parades an equally formidable squad that includes, Sylvester Emmanuel, Henry Atseye and Christie Agugbom.
The Port Harcourt midweek tie between Team Kalotari and Team Goshen of Ilorin will parade Emmanuel Idoko, Michael Michael, Nonso Madueke and Patience Onebamhoin facing Emmanuel Sunday, Paul Emmanuel, Joseph Adim and Verm Championship winner Blessing Samuel.
