The ninth edition of the Prince Victor Uwakwe Tennis Championship has opened in Enugu, bringing together more than 90 young players from across Nigeria’s South-East, South-South and South-West regions.
The four-day competition, which began with an opening ceremony on Wednesday, is being contested in the Under-15 and Under-21 boys’ and girls’ categories at the Enugu Sports Club Tennis Section.
At the time of filing this report, teams from Abia and Edo were still expected to arrive, while the participating teams from the South-West were also yet to arrive in Enugu.
The tournament is organised by the Enugu State Tennis Association in collaboration with the Enugu Sports Club Tennis Section.
The winners of each of the four categories will receive ₦60,000, while runners-up will receive ₦25,000. The two players who lose in each semi-final will receive ₦15,000 each.
The sponsor, Prince Victor Uwakwe, is also covering the hotel accommodation and transportation of participating teams, providing additional logistical support for players travelling to Enugu.
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Speaking at the opening ceremony, Uwakwe said he was proud of the tournament’s development since it began nine years ago.
“It’s immense pride. For nine years, we have had the privilege of sponsoring this tournament. We started as a vision to get young people onto the court, and we’ve grown into a cornerstone of youth sports in our community.”
He said the benefits of tennis went beyond competition and could help young people develop important qualities for life.
“We are not just playing a game. It teaches you self-reliance. It teaches you how to put yourself under intense pressure, how to respect your opponents, how to live with grace and live with humility.”
Uwakwe also called for increased investment in sports infrastructure, particularly accessible tennis courts and stronger sports programmes in schools.
“To our government partners, we urge you to increase infrastructure spending, build accessible public courts and integrate robust sports programmes into our school curriculum.”
He said the aim should be to ensure that children from all backgrounds have access to sport.
“Let us work together to ensure that every child, regardless of background, has a racket in hand and a court to play on.”
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The competition will feature a round-robin stage before the semi-finals and finals, with the tournament scheduled to end on Saturday, 30 August.
The championship provides young players with an opportunity to gain competitive experience while giving organisers a platform to identify emerging tennis talent.
The tournament is being overseen by officials including Prof. Agu Gab Agu, chairman of the Enugu State Tennis Association; Barr. Augustine Ifeanyi Nweke, chairman of Enugu Sports Club; Dr Lawrence Azike, chairman of the organising committee; and Chuma Eze, executive captain of the Enugu Sports Club Tennis Section.
