Management of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has reaffirmed its commitment to the development and growth of the game of tennis in the country.
Nigeria’s top tennis player, Fatimah Abinu
Acting Director, Corporate Communications Department of the apex bank, Isaac Okoroafor, made this known to TheNiche in Lagos during the week before this year’s edition of the CBN Tennis Open championship served off at the tennis courts of the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos.
“Our commitment and support to the game of tennis are with a view to promoting and developing the game in line with the financial institution’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme,” he said.
He said the championship, since inception in 1979, has produced talented players that have flown Nigeria’s flag at several local and international tournaments.
He added that the championship, which prize money has increased to N14.3 million from N9,060,000 last year, serves as a platform for discovering emerging stars that have represented Nigeria at major competitions such as the Davis Cup and the All Africa Games.
“We are of the view that the timing of this year’s championship would afford the Nigeria Tennis Federation (NTF) the opportunity to select players to represent Nigeria at the Davis Cup tournament scheduled to hold in September later this year,” he said.
He also acknowledged the impact made through the introduction of the wheelchair tennis last year, following Nigeria’s winning of the African Championship in Kenya in March which ensured qualification for the World Team Cup from May 24 to 30.
The tournament will serve as qualifier for the event which will feature about 40 countries in The Netherlands.
Meanwhile, the champions and finalists in the men and women singles will take home N700,000 and N500,000 in that order at the end of the championship billed for Saturday, May 17 at the National Stadium, Surulere.
