N6.1m up for grabs at Rain oil tennis championship

By Ifeanyi Eduzor
A total of 6.1 million naira in prize money will be up for grabs in this year’s annual Rain oil tennis tournament which served off Thursday, December 2, at the Clay Court of   Lagos Country Club, Ikeja, Lagos.
Disclosing this to the media during a press conference to herald the championship, Group Managing Director of Rain oil Gabriel Ogbechie who was represented by  Emmanuel Omuojine, Group Head, Strategy and Business Development, the  winner of the male category will go home with  N 600,000 while  winner  of the  female event will get N 500,000 with their  runners-up smiling home with  N300,000 and N250,000 respectively.
According to him, the company’s decision to be sponsoring the annual championship which was not held last year because of the COVID- 19 Pandemic was as result of its commitment towards tennis development in the country noting that he is happy with the successes recorded  in  the more than a decade of the  competition.
“We at Rain Oil are happy that the championship that began more than a decade a ago is still ongoing and has recorded many successes with many talented players discovered. Apart from last year when the tournament did not hold because of COVID-19 Pandemic, we   have been consistent in organizing it and kudos must go to the Lagos Country Club and the Nigeria Tennis Federation for their support over the years which have encouraged us to do more.
In her own remark, Secretary of Tennis section of the club Mrs. Bolanle Fatona, the club is happy with what Rain Oil is doing in the area of tennis development with a charge to other corporate organizations to emulate the company just as she promised tennis lovers of a serene environment, adequate security and the best of tennis throughout the duration of the tournament.
According to the schedule of the tournament, a total of 64 players will be in action for the men’s singles event while the female version has 32 players. In the doubles event, there will be 32 men competing for the ultimate prize with women having 16 players.
The tournament which will end on Saturday, December 11 will have Joseph Imeh and Marylove Edwards as top seeds in both men and women categories.