CBN Splashes Six.Eight Million Naira On Tennis Players

All is now set for the Thirty third edition of the Central Bank of Nigeria Senior Open Tennis Championship scheduled to stroke off this Friday till 4th of June, 2011, at the tennis courts of the National Stadium Surulere as the apex bank has reviewed the total prize money fro six million to six point eight million Naira.

Speaking at the media briefing heralding the 33rd edition of the annual CBN Tennis Cup at the media centre of the National Stadium, Surulere, the bank's Director, Governor's Department who was represented by Abdulahi Mohammed, said the tourney has become an important event in the NTF's caendar of activites which all tennis players, fans and stakeholders anticipate with enthusiasm.

While mentioning Sadiq Abdullahi, David Imonite, Remi Osho, Sunday Maku, Veronica Oyibokia, Magret Olagundoye, Clara Usofa as some of the skillful tennis players the competition had produced, stressing that the annual tennis tournament has become a selection ground for budding talents that have featured in the Davis Cup and All African Games.

Mohammed, who sees the partnership between the apex bank and Nigeria Tennis Federation,NTF, as the bank's Corporate Social Responsibility to contribute positively to the development of tennis in Nigeria., explained that the winners of last year's edition in the male and female categories Emmanuel Sunday and Fatima Abinu were sponsored to participate in the Tennis Training Academy in the Netherlands from March to May, 2011.

He said the CBN Junior Tennis Tournament was fashioned to serve as a feeder to the Senior Championship as it is open to boys and girls , adding that CBN in conjunction with the NTF had re- introduced the mixed doubles in the tourney after a long period of fifteen years.

In his usual character, the first Vice President of NTF, Yemi Omoseni, who represented the Federation's President, Sanni Ndanusa, commended the apex bank for its commitment towards development of tennis for thirty three years which had added value to the sport in the Junior and Senior categories.

According to Omoseni, the international exposure of Emmanuel Sunday and Fatima Abinu to top international Tennis Tournamments was to help the tennis players to garner point on the ITF ranking and also to aspire to play in the Grand Slam.

The NTF First Vice President, said the kind gesture of CBN in organisin a regular Junior Tennis Tournaments had helped Nigeria to improve on her perfromance at the just concluded African Junior Tennis Championship held in Gaborone, Botswana, in April, 2011.

He told sports journalist that this year's edition would serve as a measure of inviting tennis players to camp in preparation for the All African Games, stressing that best ten tennis players each in the male and female categories would be selected from the competition as he explained that eight tennis playrs in the male and female cadres would make he list to the All African Games.

Our correspondent, reports that Emmanuel Sunday won the Men's Singles event, Fatimah Abinu carted away the Ladies Singles trophy as the dou of Candy Idoko and Shehu Lawal smiled homewith the Men's Double trophy just as Fatima Abinu and Omotayo Ibrahim got the Ladies Singles award.