Abuja: Sani Ndanusa, Former President of the Nigeria Tennis Federation (NTF), expressed his encouragement over the playing standards witnessed at the 2026 NASCO/ITF J30 World Tennis Tour Junior Championship in Abuja. Ndanusa shared his thoughts while speaking to reporters at the conclusion of the tournament’s second week.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Ndanusa highlighted the impressive performance of Nigerian junior players as a positive indicator of the progress of tennis development in the country. He expressed his passion for the sport by stating, “I sleep tennis and eat tennis continuously,” and noted that the emergence of new players on the ITF circuit offers hope for the future.
Ndanusa also praised the title sponsors, NASCO Group and the International Tennis Federation (ITF), for their support, particularly acknowledging NASCO’s contribution to the sport. Bunmi Ashimolowo, representing NASCO Group as the Area Sales Manager, confirmed the company’s commitment to supporting youth sports development through their involvement in the championship.
Oke Joseph, the NASCO Group Tournament Coordinator, revealed that approximately 30 percent of Nigerian participants were first-time ITF players who earned world ranking points due to the new round-robin format. He expressed satisfaction with the championship’s success and shared plans to upgrade the event’s status in future editions, aiming to elevate it from a J30 event to a J60 by 2027.
The championship saw noteworthy performances from Nigerian players, with Success Ogunjobi winning the girls’ singles title by defeating Khadijat Mohammed 6-2, 6-1. Ogunjobi also teamed up with Emmanuel Kwange to secure the girls’ doubles crown against Khadijat Mohammed and Sri Lanka’s V.D. Rashmi Omaye Wijewardana with a 6-1, 6-2 victory.
In the boys’ singles final, Nigeria’s Gbolahan Olawale reached the last round but was defeated 6-1, 7-6(8) by China’s Hengzhi Cui. Olawale and his partner Ishaku Kwange also faced a setback in the boys’ doubles final, losing 4-6, 6-2, 6-0 to the Chinese duo Jinxuan Cheng/Hengzhi Cui.
The week-long championship featured participants from 14 countries, commencing on a Monday and concluding on a Saturday.