Ogunsakin, Aina win CBN Junior Tennis championship

Photo: Mrs. Grace Otsemobor of Corporate Communications Department of the Central Bank of Nigeria flanked by Issah Yahaya and Mofi Atilola who emerged as the boys and girls outstanding players.

This year’s CBN Junior Tennis Championship came to a successful conclusion Saturday at the Lagos Lawn Tennis Club, Onikan, Lagos with Seyi Ogunsakin and Goodnews Aina emerging winners of the Boys and Girls 16 categories respectively.

Playing in the Boys 16, 2024 Boys 14 runners- up, Ogunsakin put up a good display to outclass Boys14 top seed and defending champion, Olawale Gbolahan 6-4, 6-3 to emerge winner

In the girls category, Goodnews Aina proved too tough for Mofi Atilola who created an upset by sending the defending champion packing in the semi-finals by 6-1, 6-4 to be crowned champion

Also in the Boys I4, Issah Yahaya defeated Michael Joel 6-0, 0-6, 10-5 to emerge victorious while Mofi Atilola, playing her second finals after loosing the Girls 16 finals, defeated Godwin Success 6-0, 6-1 to emerge winner.

Boys 12 final, saw Oganiba Excellency defeating Ogungbe Emmanuel, 6-3, 6-4 to emerge winner just as Opuene Karina beat Rasaki Mabubat 3-6, 7-5,10-9 after tite break to win the girls category.

Speaking after the finals, Ogunsakin described his victory as evidence of hard work noting that his target is to keep on improving his game and become an international player just as he commended Central Bank of Nigeria for their continuous sponsorship of the tournament.

In her own remarks, Goodnews Aina while expressing happiness with her victory commended her opponent for giving her a good fight but was quick to add that her next focus is the forthcoming National Sports Festival where she hope to pick a medal.

Organiser of the tournament Godwin Kenker while expressing happiness with the level of competitiveness among the players noted that the tournament is making progress even as he expressed hope that in the next five years, players in the tournament will be ranked at the international circuit.

“One good thing about the tournament is that it showed the players that there’s no need for age falsification because a player like Mofi Atilola played in the finals of both the Girls 14 and 16 which served as encouragement to other players .

“We also used the tournament to build the players confidence through our motivators and counselors who talk to them even when they lose any game.

” I’m equally happy that the tournament is making progress. Some of the players like Khadija Mohammed has already moved to the senior category and am hoping that in the next five years, players from the tournament will be ranked at the international circuit.