By Our Reporter
Abuja (PRECISE POST) – The inaugural edition of the Senate President National Open Lawn Tennis Championship is set to kick off this October, with events scheduled to take place in Abuja and Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.
The national tournament is being organised by Africa Sports Management Nigeria Limited in collaboration with the Nigeria Tennis Federation (NTF).
According to the statement released on Thursday signed by the Special Assistant Media to the President of the Senate, Jackson Udom, it aims to promote tennis development, foster youth engagement through competitive sports, and use tennis as a platform for positive lifestyle influence across the country.
The announcement followed a courtesy visit to the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, by a delegation led by Rt. Hon. Prince Mathew Kolawole, Chairman and CEO of Africa Sports Management. The group included Rotimi Akinloye, representing the NTF President, and was facilitated by Senator Abdul Ningi, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Sports Development.
Kolawole said the tournament is being organised in honour of Senate President Akpabio’s leadership, noting its broader purpose of leveraging sports as a developmental tool for Nigerian youth.
In response, Akpabio welcomed the initiative and pledged his full support, while using the opportunity to call on the private sector to play a more active role in sports development in Nigeria.
“The private sector can drive sports in Nigeria. Sports must not be funded by only the government. There are too many competing items for the resources of the federal government,” Akpabio said.
“Let the private sector come in and assist us. This kind of competition is a way of attracting private investment, encouraging students to take interest in tennis, and ultimately producing champions who will make Nigeria proud.”
The championship marks a significant step in repositioning tennis as a major sport in Nigeria and creating new opportunities for aspiring athletes across the nation.
