5th December, 2023
Team Nigeria on Tuesday jetted out of Muritala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, to participate in the Men’s World Squash Team Championship organised by World Squash Federation (WSF) in Tauranga, New Zealand.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the team, comprising Tunde Ajagbe, Onaopemipo Adegoke, Olufunmilayo Gabriel and Kehinde Samuel, is one of 24 teams that have been confirmed to participate in the championship.
The biennial tournament, which sees four-man squads from national federations, provides the platform for the teams to battle it out for the title of World Squash Team Champions.
The tournament will begin on Dec. 11 and run to Dec. 17 at the New Zealand’s Mercury Baypark Arena, and the Devoy Squash & Fitness Centre, Tauranga.
Yusuf Durosinlorun, the Technical Chairman of the Nigeria Squash Federation, told NAN that the tournament was one of the federation’s programme to ensure that players were exposed to international competitions.
“The federation is focused on ensuring that our players not only participate in international tournaments but that they do well too.
“We’re hopeful that these men will deliver. Most of the top 10 male players in the world will be competing, so there will be a really high level of aggressiveness on the court. We wish our players the best,” he said.
NAN also reports that the tournament will be one of the largest sporting events of the year in the region, featuring around 100 of the world’s best squash athletes.
This year’s event marks a welcome return for the championship, which has not been played since 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Countries participating are: Australia, Brazil, Canada, Czech Republic, Egypt, England, France, Germany, Hong Kong, China, India, Japan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Netherlands, Philippines Republic of Korea, Scotland, South Africa, Switzerland, USA and Wales.
In the last edition in 2019 in USA, Team Nigeria came 21st while Team Egypt won the tournament.
(NAN)