18th January, 2014
Damilare Okunola/Abuja
Nigeria have all but qualified for the African Junior Tennis Championship, AJTC after setting the pace again at the second leg of the Western and Central African zone qualifiers in Abuja Saturday evening.
Team Nigeria that dominated the first leg with a total of six gold, five silver and one bronze medals, have won three gold and three silver medals prior to the final round of matches billed for Sunday.
More medals are still guaranteed when the finals of some events are decided on the last day of the qualifiers at the National Stadium, Abuja.
The medals came in the boys’ U-12 doubles which was won by the pair of Michael Osewa and Friday Gabriel after defeating fellow Nigerian duo of Daniel Joshua and Sani Moussa in straight set of 6-2, 6-1.
The medal haul also came from an all-Nigerian affair in the U-16 girls’ doubles final when England-based Elizabeth Pam and Oladimeji Zainab proved too much for the duo of Faith Sunday and Fortune Aniso in a 6-1, 6-4 game.
The last pair of medals came in the boys’ U-14 doubles final match which the Nigerian combination of Christopher Itodo and Peter Lawal won by defeating Anozie Chidera and Michael Ayola, 6-1, 7-6(2).
Team Nigeria are expecting a gold medal in the girls’ U-16 final slated for Sunday afternoon.
Nigeria’s Elizabeth Pam will seek to retain her top spot when she takes on power-playing Marie Sia from Cote D’Ivoire.
Another final which will guarantee a medal for Nigeria is in the boys’ U-14 singles where Christopher Itodo of Nigeria will lock horns with Aliyou Arzika from Niger.
Meanwhile, Michael Michael ensured that Sunday’s U-16 boys’ singles final is an all-Nigerian affair when he overcame hard-hitting Togolese, Antoine Gbadoe 4-6, 6-0, 7-5 in an entertaining semi final encounter.
He will play against Sylvester Emmanuel, who defeated Patherne Diangathebe from Gabon, 6-1, 7-6(2).
Michael told P.M. NEWS Sports after the match that he was lucky to have won the duel because his opponent was a very good player.
“I was lucky to have won the match because Gbadoe was playing very well. Even when I was losing, I still believed in myself and I am glad that I will be playing in the final again tomorrow” the Kaduna State-born player said.
The qualifying series will be brought to a close on Sunday as the successful players that will represent the zone at the AJC in Kenya in March will be announced after the final found of matches.