Kaduna Hosts CBN Junior Tennis Championship

From John Shiklam in Kaduna

Over 100 tennis players between ages of 10 to 18 from across the country will participate in the 2016 CBN Junior Tennis Championship scheduled Monday at the Murtala Square Kaduna.

The Acting Director, Corporate Communications, Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr Isaac Okoroafor disclosed this yesterday at a forum of Tennis players said the tournament which is being held for the first in the North since it was initiated nine years ago.

Okoroafor who was represented at the forum by Mrs Tiki Tanga, said the tournament is aimed at discovering and nurturing young people to showcase and promote their talents.

He said prizes would be given to winners and runners-up in the various age categories of age 10, U-12, U-14, U-16 and 18 as well as prizes for the most outstanding players in the boys and girls categories.
He added that winners in the age categories of 16 and 18 will qualify for the CBN Senior Open Championships.

Okoroafor explained that the tournament was organised in collaboration with the International Tennis Academy, adding the 2016 edition of the competition marks the 10th anniversary of the annual event.

“The championship has the objectives to ensure that young talents are discovered early and nurtured to limelight, while establishing a strong transition platform to the senior, to provide a platform that would attract and enable junior players from all over the country compete and showcase their talents.

“To provide a structure that would allow the junior players compete at a very early age and transit from the junior to the senior category. This junior tennis tournament s designed to serve as a feeder to the senior championship, also a major event organised by the Nigeria Tennis Federation in conjunction with CBN” he said.

He added that the tournament has achieved a lot as players from the CBN Junior Circuit have represented Nigeria in the African Junior Tennis Championship and other international competitions.

St. Gregory’s, Queens College Book GTBank Master’s Cup Final
Defending champions, St. Gregory’s College, Obalende, yesterday at the Onikan Stadium, booked their place in the final of the Master’s Cup, Season 5 after edging out Crisland Schools 4-3 in a highly entertaining match.

In the girls semifinal played earlier, Queens College Yaba, dismissed the opposition put up by Ansar-Ud-Deen Girls High School, Itire, 2-0 to qualify for the final.
Defending champions of the male category, St. Gregory’s College edged out high-flying debutants, Chrisland Schools, 4-3 in the first semifinal.

St. Gregory’s scored two early goals during the first half but the hard-fighting Chrisland scored three goals the second half as the defending champions ran away with a 4-3 win, while three-time winners, Queens College, outclassed perennial rivals, Ansar-Ud-Deen Girls High School, Itire.

Tomorrow at the same venue, King’s College will take on Greensprings School in the male category of the second semifinal, while Federal Science and Technical College, Yaba making their first appearance in the semi-finals will battle Methodist Girls High School hoping to be third time lucky in this stage of the competition.
Both teams recorded emphatic wins in the quarter finals to set-up what promises to be an exciting encounter.

The prestigious secondary school football tournament is an annual football competition geared towards the development of grassroots football, the discovery of young football talents and fostering camaraderie amongst secondary school students. It also provides a platform for identifying; nurturing, grooming young and talented players as well as helping students actualise their dream of becoming professional footballers.
This season has already produced an exciting display of football skill and talent, and the semi-finals promises to raise that excitement with eye catching match ups in the male and female categories.

18TH NESTLÉ MILO SEC SCH B’BALL
Kogi Complete Double Sweep in Thrilling Finals
Kogi State representatives, Crowther Memorial College and Harmony Secondary School deservedly emerged as champions of the Confluence Conference zone in the 18th Milo Basketball Championship at the indoor sports hall of the Confluence Stadium.

The cheering fans enjoyed the basketball skills that the budding talents displayed in the capital city of Kogi State yesterday. In the clash of titans, Crowther Memorial College displayed the spirit of of true champions when they produced a world class performance to overcome General Muritala College 39-37 in the boys and girls final.

The girls final was a dramatic affair as gallant Harmony Secondary School fought the battle of their lives to emerge as champions. The Kogi girls had been written off after going down 5-0 to Government Secondary School Numan Adamawa at the end of the first quarter.

However, Obatoyinbo Bidemi and MVP of the Girls event, Amodu Ketimu ran the show and
dunked nine points between them in the last two quarters of the entertaining to miraculously hand victory to the Kogi team.
The grand finale of this year’s championship is expected to hold outside Lagos for the first time with Asaba, the Delta State capital as host.