Winners and runner-ups in the just concluded maiden Junior Tennis tournament in the boys and girls have been offered scholarships by Tennista Foundation.

The tournament saw intense competition among 55 young athletes, displaying exceptional talents, grit and sportsmanship during the thrilling 4-day, starting from the preliminaries to the final on the Lawn tennis court inside Rowe Park, Yaba.

The final matches delivered stunning performances, sealing the emergence of David Edward and Goodnews Aina as the winners of both the U16 boys and girls, respectively.

Edward triumphed over Benjamin Joel, who finished as the Boys’ Runner-Up, while in the Girls’ final, Aina outplayed Benjamin Ndifreke in an intense match that had the crowd cheering from start to finish.
Michael Nwoseh, president, Tennista Foundation, stated that the tournament is more than just a competition, but a platform to showcase potential. “This moment is special not just for the winners, but for every child who participated in this tournament. We have witnessed some of the best displays of skill, resilience, and sportsmanship.”

According to him, the foundation is targeted at offering life and academic skills to young athletes across all sports, with more commitment to support the development of grassroots sports. “This is exactly why the Tennista Foundation exists: to give young talents the platform to thrive and dream bigger.”

Tokunbo Agoro, chairman, Lagos State Tennis Association, emphasised the need for public-private partnerships to grow sports at the grassroots level and appreciated the foundation for organising the tournament.

“This is the easiest way and the grassroots way to get to the youth, to develop young talent, and there’s no better way than putting them in a competition setting. That way, their real skill will be exhumed and we can see where we’re going from there,” he said.

To reward their hard work, dedication, and outstanding talent, Tennista Foundation awarded ₦100,000 worth of scholarship support to each of the first-place winners, while the runners-up received ₦75,000 worth of scholarship support.

In addition to these educational prizes, the winners were presented with brand-new Dunlop Professional Tennis Rackets, custom backpack kits, gold and silver medals, and individual trophies to mark their well-deserved victories.