Sixteen-year-old Yusuf Quadri shocked the crowd by defeating top favourite Lanre Abdulrahman in the men’s final of the I-GP Open Squash Classics on Thursday in Lagos.
The epic five-round action packed game ended 11/5, 11/13, 11/9, 6/11 and 7/13 in favour of Quadri.
Top seed Olatunji Jadesola also impressed, overpowering Modupe Faniyi in four sets to clinch the women’s singles title with a scoreline 11/7, 7/11, 11/5 and 11/4.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Abubakar Yakubu praised the event, calling it a showcase of squash excellence and a platform for youth development.
“We saw the best of squash. The players showed real class, and every moment was truly exciting,” Yakubu told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) after the finals.
Yakubu, who is also Police Sports Secretary, said the police are committed to nurturing young talents through structured competitions.
“This is our first edition in Lagos. We definitely look forward to hosting more events like this,” he added confidently.
CSP Charity Enebeli, Chair of Police Sports, called the tournament a success and commended the athletes’ sportsmanship throughout the competition.
“We recorded great results. The players gave their best, and we’re proud of how the event turned out,” Enebeli said.
President of the Nigeria Squash Federation, Boye Oyerinde, expressed delight at the competitiveness, especially among junior players.
“Our young talents proved they belong on this stage. Their performance shows the future of squash is bright,” he noted.
Oyerinde thanked sponsors and emphasised the need for more events to help emerging players grow and shine nationally.
Both Quadri and Jadesola told NAN they’re proud of their victories and aim to build on their success at the upcoming National Sports Festival in Ogun.