Team Offikwu has won the NCC Tennis Cup 2016 and taken home
the star prize of Seven Million Naira N7million), after upsetting the defending
champions (Tombim) who took home- N5million) on Sunday at the Lagos Lawn Tennis
Club (LLTC), Onikan, Lagos; ITRealms
reports.
Before the all- exciting but over-stretched grand finale game, Team Civil Defence had won
the Third place prize of N3million having beaten Team FCT to the Fourth position with N2million prize.
Speaking at the grand finale of the tournament, Solomon
Dalung, Minister of Youth and Sports, commended NCC for setting the tune in
line with the policy direction of the Federal Government by inviting the
private sectors’ interests to sports development.
“This national league, Dalung said, “Was organized in all
the six geo-political zones of this country including Abuja, without the
Federal Government giving a dime as intervention. Yet, it has been a very huge
success; evidence that if Federations organize themselves very well there are
so much for them to benefit from sponsors.
“I want to congratulate the young people that have won in
various categories including sums of cash prizes. This is an indication that in
hard work there is a gain. I want to encourage the young people to use this
period of their youthful lives to participate in sports because there are
employments, wealth and ‘weapon’ in sports that you can use to combat poverty”.
The minister re-echoed Federal Goverbnment’s resolve to
continue to invest in sports while dropping the hint that the government would
take more active interest in the development, governance and administration of
the various Federations to ensure that transparency, accountability and
management of resources remain the order of the day.
Also speaking at the event, Professor Umar Danbatta,
executive vice chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC)
descried the feat as a total accomplishment on the part of NCCin view of the
excitement and personalities that graced the grand finale.
Danbatta who was represented by head of Public Relations at
the Commission, Mr. Reuben Muoka, noted
that the Minister had followed up on the NCC-sponsored tourney from the
fixtures through the start- of till the finals.
He appreciated the
minister for his sense of humility, commitment and endurance which he displayed
by attending the tournament and sitting through to watch every match in spite
of his tight schedule in office.
“This shows a great support to what NCC is doing. NCC is encouraged. We are happy the way it turned as the best team emerged the winner.
“This team is new in
the tournament and they actually invited players even from abroad. The NCC
Tennis League has come to a stage when teams buy players while giving home
based players succour. The league has brought about stiff competition and the
best Nigerian players are participating too.
“NCC had at the maiden edition in 2015 spelt out the aims of
the League as a way to take top flight tennis to different cities and parts of
the country which has never hosted such tennis events; to develop squads that
will attract sponsorship and get high level coaches attached to teams.
“The tournament is also regarded as an avenue created by the
NCC to provide some substantial prize monies that will enable top national
players invest in their professional tennis careers and attain a world ranking
that will enable them create wealth for themselves, their families and the
nation.
“We also value this tournament as an avenue to introduce
many more weeks of tennis competition into the Nigerian tennis calendar that
will allow national players compete regularly and achieve some rapid
improvement in skill levels,” he added.
The final match between Sylvester Emmanuel representing
Offikwu, the highest ranked Nigerian on the ATP circuit, and Moses Michael,
national champion who represented Team Tombim ended at 6-2; 6-1.
Dignitaries on the occasion also included former
Vice-President, Alex Ekwume and Barrister Rotimi Edu, Chairman, LLTC; Nduka
Oduzor, among other dignitaries.
In his post-victory chat with media practitioners, Sylvester
Emmanuel extolled NCC for organizing the tournament which he said add glamour
to the tennis calendar in Nigeria.
“This season has been
a wonderful one for me and the team and we hope 2017 will be there. In the
coming year, I will be playing more of the international competitions; I will
be moving to Barcelona for the training and tournament”; the new champion said.
He recalled that in the past, local players used to complain
of lack of competitions, but the NCC tournament and others have now provided
real opportunity for young tennis players to prove their worth on the game.
Emmanuel who doubles as Team Offikwu captain, added: “It
means a lot to us as players, because we had just two tournaments- the CBN and
the Dalung Cup. But with this king of league as organized by NCC, you will know
there is tournament to play each week; traveling from one State to another.
“The organisers really did very well. I want to give them
all the credit and we hope they continue”.
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