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From Fred Itua
The 20th annual Merchant Express, Global Cargo and Turkish Cargo Airlines Squash Tournament has ended at the Lagos Country Club, Ikeja, with top players from across Nigeria battling for honours in the week-long competition.
The tournament, which began on July 27 and ended on Saturday, August 8, 2026, featured the 6th Merchant Express PSA and the 20th Inter-Club Invitational Tournament, alongside closed-event categories for ladies, men, veterans and super veterans.
The competition attracted squash players from several clubs and institutions, including Lagos Country Club (LCC), Ikoyi Club, University of Lagos (UNILAG), Ikoyi Recreation Club (IRC), Edo, Kwara, Lagos and other participating clubs.
In the PSA Ladies category, Faidat Soliu of Kwara emerged champion, defeating Awawu Balogun of Lagos/OG to claim the title. Zainab Ishola of Lagos and Ese Ogheneotuyo of Edo finished joint third.
The PSA Men’s title went to Samson Asade of Edo, while Shuaib Giwa of Kwara settled for the runner-up position. Faruq Suleiman and Joshua Daniel, both representing Lagos, shared third place.
In the closed-event Men’s category, Bunmi Apata of Lagos Country Club took the top prize after an impressive campaign. Dayo Tifase finished runner-up, while Mike Adekoya and Onemena Ikpkinipi shared third place.
The Ladies category was won by Moniola Gege, with Ochucko Ikpkinipi finishing second and Doris Lewis taking third.
There were also strong performances in the veterans’ divisions. Murphy Yusuf won the Veteran category ahead of Muazu Dahir, while Teriba Adeboye and Udoh Nkana finished joint third.
In the Super Veteran category, Funmi Bamkole emerged winner, with Mike Adekoya as runner-up. Ladi Smith and Taiwo Sanni shared third place.
The Club Invitational produced another set of champions. Sodi Pepple of Ikoyi won the Super Veteran category, ahead of Mike Adekoya of Lagos Country Club, while Telema Princewill of Port Harcourt and Kayode Wallace of Eko finished joint third.
Clement Efapokire of Ikoyi won the Club Invitational Veteran category, with Gbenga Ilori of UNILAG as runner-up. Dele Obasuyi of Benin and Billy Joseph of IRC jointly claimed third place.
In the Club Invitational Men’s category, Tayo Oladipupo of UNILAG emerged champion, defeating Shittu Adeola of IRC in the final. Bunmi Apata of LCC and Emmanuel Kehinde of LSPSC shared third place.
The tournament provided a platform for both established and emerging squash players to compete at different levels while strengthening inter-club relations and promoting the sport.
With its combination of PSA competition and invitational categories, the 2026 edition reinforced the tournament’s growing profile on the Nigerian squash calendar and ended with champions from different generations and clubs celebrating their success.
