Brothers Seun and Seyi Ogunsakin on Saturday in Lagos stole the show at the finals of the 14th Central Bank of Nigeria Junior Tennis Tournament, winning their respective categories.
It’s the first national tennis tournament in the country, following the outbreak of COVID-19 in the country in March.
Eleven-year-old Seun defeated Mohammed Idris 8-2 (retired) in the U-14 final, while Seyi, 9, overcame David Edwards 6-3, 4-0 (retired) in the U-12 boys final played at the Lagos Lawn Tennis Club, Onikan.
David Ekpeyong also triumphed over Joshua Maxwell 9-1 in the U-16 boys final.
When asked if he looked up to any of the global stars for inspiration, Seun, a JSS 3 pupil of Christ School, Ado Ekiti, said, “I model my playing style after Rafael Nadal, but I don’t want to be like anybody. I want people to be like me.”
In the girls U-16 final, Mary Udoffa beat Blessing Otu 9-0, with Nene Yakubu also recording an easy 9-2 win over Amarachi Eze.
Udoffa and Mubarak Ganiyu, who crashed out in the semi-finals, were voted the tournament’s MVPs in the girls and boys categories respectively.
CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, who was represented at the event by the apex bank’s Acting Director, Corporate Communications, Osita Nwanisobi, expressed delight at the success the event had recorded over the years.
He said, “For 14 consecutive years, the CBN has supported the junior tennis tournament in Nigeria, and through the years, we have witnessed the discovery of an array of talented young boys and girls, some of whom have achieved great feats in the game.”
