300 players jostle for CBN senior tennis tourney

From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja

No fewer than 300 players will, this month, May 18, compete for price money and honours in different categories in the week-long 2023 edition of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)-sponsored Senior Open Tennis Championship.
Acting Director, Corporate Communication Department, CBN, Dr. Isa AbdulMumin, made the revelation while briefing sports journalists on the commencement of this year’s tournament in Abuja.
He said that the tournament which is the fifth consecutive year will hold at the Package B of Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja, adding that the finals of the one-week tournament, to be played on hard court, will be decided on Saturday, May 27, 2023.
According to him, players will square up in the men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s doubles and Women’s Doubles, as well as in the wheelchair men’s singles and wheelchair women’s singles.
Isa also disclosed that the Bank’s Management was committed to sustaining the sponsorship of the tournament, which the Bank had done since 1978, particularly as it remains a platform for discovering, harnessing and grooming young talents to represent Nigeria at various international tennis meets.
While tasking participants to take the opportunity of the championship to show their talents, he expressed joy that the competition, over the years, had produced stars in the male and female categories such as Sunday Maku, and David Imonite.
Others include Veronica Oyibokia-Iwebema, Clara Udofa, Christy Agugbom, Sarah Adegoke and Sylvester Emmanuel, and more recently, Imeh Joseph, Oparoji Uche, Nonso Madueke, Henry Atseye, Oyinlomo Quadri, and Marylove Edwards, among others.
The CBN Senior Open Tennis Championship is the flagship tennis competition in Nigeria that serves as a selection ground for the country in preparation for major competitions such as Davis Cup and All Africa Games.