Kids in tennis action

Over 120 Junior tennis players are in Port Harcourt for the NNPC Junior Tennis Championship running from Tuesday Dec. 14 to Sunday Dec. 19 at the Port Harcourt Club. The tournament is featuring singles events in the 10, 12, 14 and 16 age groups for boys and girls.

The Kaduna based Co – Foundation entered the tournament with 14 Juniors and are expected to face a strong challenge from players of the International Tennis Academy based in Lagos.Among the top juniors in the garden city for the first ever national championship are the Kienkas – Kalada 14, Lolia 12 and Tamina 10 all national champions in their age categories who will playing in their homeState for the first time in a national competition.

The Okoro sisters – Nneka 16 and Chika 14 are also here with their two brothers Ejike 12 and Ikenna 10. Others are Samuel Omole, Tony Michael, Simon Dickson and kid sensation Christian Paul from the Co – Foundation.The tournament has attracted players from many States including Plateau, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Anambra, Imo. Oyo and Abuja as well as international participation from Italy and India.
Godwin Kienka, the co ordinator of the circuit has said that he would like to see this tournament serve as a catalyst for tennis development in the South - South zone of Nigeria and has promised to move it around the region to ensure that all potential tennis stars are caught in the net at an early age.

The tournament starts from 10 am and ends at 6 pm each day while the finals is scheduled for 3 pm on Sunday Dec. 19. In some of the matches played today in the under 12 category Badmus Kareem defeated Rasaki Saheed,6-0.6-0. Anthony Leo beat Peter Stephen 6-2, 7-5. Christain Paul beat Uyime Ikpong 6-0,60,