Top Nigerian Squash Players To Compete In lagos Squash Classic.

Nigerian Squash players, Sodiq Taiwo, top the list of twenty four Nigerian Squash players who will participate in the maiden edition of the Lagos State Squash Classic competition which began on Tuesday with the team events at the Squash Hall of Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere as a cash prize One point five (1.5 million) million naira has been earmarked for the event..

 The list which consist of sixteen male(16) and eight female (8) Squash players. They are, Jonathan Peters, Tunde Ajaobe, Wale Obe, Moses Durosimi, Seun Jayeola, Shola Thomas, Endurance Omosor Wasiu Bello, Mayowa Olorunnishola, Chris Mapis, Garba Mohammed, Idowu Enimakure, Dasbak Londgi, Kally Yashim, Taiwo Ebifemi, Veronica Sunday, Grace Mayh, Lola Ajayi and Yemisi Owokole.

Chairman of the Lagos State Squash Association, Sanya Akindele, said six events, Men's, Ladies Singles, Under 19 Boys, Girls, Men and Ladies Veterans and Under 15 Boys would be decided at the tournament, adding that the tournament which would end on the 6th of Saturday, November, 2012, at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Squash Hall, would also be played at the Squash section of Ikoyi Club 1983.

 Akindele, said the invitational squash tournament would serve an opportunity to assess the preparedness of their athletes to the 18th National Sports Festival tagged EKO 2012 as the Squash Classic tournament would be the last major event the Team Lagos would feature in before the Games billed for 27th of November, 2012.

 "The classic will also be an opportunity for us to assess the preparedness of our Team to the 18th National Sports Festival ,EKO 2012 as it will be the last major tournament the Team Lagos players will participate in before the Festival."

 Akindele, said the association inaugurated in Jnauary, 2012, has set for itself clear goals in the development of the sport at the Secondary Schools, age grade and professional levels, adding that plans are in top gear to harness and nurture the talents discovered at the Quarterly Grassroot Games into the next Wasiu Sanni, Nigeria's former number One Squash player and Elizabeth Iyamu.

 "The Lagos State Squash Association,LSSA, which was inaugurated in January, 2012, has set for itself clear goals in the development of the sport at the Secondary Schools,Under 15, Under 19 and professional levels.

"The huge turn out of the Under 15 and Under 19 players at the second Quarter Grassroot Games held at the Teslim Balogun Stadium was unprecedented and plans are underway to harness the talents discovered at the Games, nurture and develop them into the next Wasiu Sanni and Elizabeth Iyamu".

While thanking the Lagos State Government and the Commissioner for Sports, Barrister Wahid Enitan Oshodi, for their unflinching support and sponsorship towards the growth of Squash in Lagos State.

 Head Coach of the LSSA, Wasiu Sanni, explained that the Men's and Ladies Singles would be played on round robin where eight male Squash players would scale through to the Quarter final while four female Sqaush players would emerge to play in Semi final while the Veteran and age grade events would be played on a knock out basis.

 According to him, Delta, Kwara, Rivers, Edo, Ogun and Lagos State will feature in the Team event.

Winner of the Men's Singles will take home the sum of One hundred and forty thousand Naira, One hundred thousand Naira goes to the winner of the Ladies Singles while cash prize will also be awarded to other players in the Team eent, Veteran category while mateial gifts to players in the age grade category.