Alex Adewale and Wasiu Yusuf are among the top contenders when wheelchair tennis players across the country slug it
out at the national ranking tournament which serves off
Wednesday.
Head coach of Nigeria’s wheelchair tennis, Frank Tarmena,
informed that no fewer than 120 players from all parts of Nigeria will take
part in the tournament which will be used to grade players in the country.
Nigerian Tennis Live gathered that the men’s draw for the tournament which is bankrolled by
Nigeria Tennis Federation (NTF) president, Engr. Ifedayo Akindoju, will be
round of 32 for men; the same for the women’s category. Currently, Adewale
is the prime seed for the male while Kafayat Omisore tops the women’s ranking.
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Alex Adewale and Wasiu Yusuf are Nigeria's biggest exports in wheelchair tennis. |
The man fondly referred to as Osama represented Nigeria at the 2012 London Olympics and
has won the last six editions of the Central Bank of Nigeria Open but is
expected to be given fierce challenge by the likes of Yusuf, Lateef
Shodipo and Jude Uwazie while Omisore will have Tosin Dawodu and Chituru
Nwaozuzu among her toughest challengers for the top placement.
Tarmena stressed that beyond the points at stake, the
tourney will put Nigeria in good stead ahead of upcoming international
tournaments which include the African Championship billed for February 2019 in
Ghana.
He lamented Nigeria’s inability to consolidate on its
dominance of Africa which now sees South Africa, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia and
Kenya ranked higher on the continent but expressed optimism that Nigeria will
soon be reclaiming her enviable position in the game.
Wheelchair tennis will for the first time be part of the
National Sports Festival billed for next month in Abuja.