N5M up for grabs as maiden Providus Bank Tennis Grandslam serves off at Ikoyi 1938 club

Posted : 19 October 2023

The organizers of the inaugural Providus Bank Tennis Grand Slam announced cash prizes exceeding N5 million for the tournament's winners, which commences today.

The Chairman of the Ikoyi Club 1938 Tennis section, Mr. Akeem Mustapha, presented these details during a press briefing held at the club's tennis lounge.

Mr. Mustapha emphasized that the tournament was anticipated to be filled with thrilling moments for the players who were battle-ready for the championships, aiming not only to secure the prestigious prizes but also to enhance their rankings.

"We have partnered with Providus Bank to deliver exhilarating moments of tennis action on our courts. We take pride in having the highest number of courts, seven under one roof in Nigeria.

"The competition is aptly named 'Tennis Grand Slam' because it will showcase the very best players in the Ikoyi 1938 club, competing.

"We are offering over N5 million in cash prizes, in addition to other cash rewards, souvenirs, food, and beverages for all participants.

"The tournament features Men's Singles in Categories A and B, a Team Event, Ladies' Singles, Veterans, and Super Veterans," he stated.

Mustapha also explained that the top players participating were strategically distributed by the technical committee to avoid them meeting before the semi-finals.

"The rankings for Men's Singles were determined by placing the top four seeds in such a way that they can only compete in the semi-finals.

"The number 1 is the highest-ranked player of the club, while the number 2 is the winner of the last Tennis Championships, and so on. The same approach was used for the Veterans and Super Veterans classifications.

"Each group in the Team's event is led by a Team Captain.

"The results of the matches will also influence the rankings, with exciting prizes for the best Ikoyi 1938 players," he remarked.

The Games Captain/Technical Director, Mr. Azuibuke Okoronkwo, expressed that the event would help hone the skills of the Ikoyi 1938 club.

"This marks the inaugural edition and the first of many tournaments to come.

"For this tournament, we will have individual, team, veteran events for players between the ages of 60 to 69 years, and Super Veterans for those aged 70 and above.

"We have five events for singles and a team event, as participants in the singles will also participate in the team event.

"In the Singles event, Category A features 15 participants, Category B has 25, Veterans have 7, Super Veterans 5, and Ladies 11 participants.

"In total, we have 85 participants, and the tournament is expected to display a profound passion for tennis," he added.

The representatives and Treasurer of Providus Bank, the sole sponsor of the competition, Mr. Enyinnaya Akagua, acknowledged that the bank had strong ties to tennis, making it a fitting sponsor for the championships.

"Tennis is a sport enjoyed by many top executives at Providus Bank, including the bank's CEO, who is a dedicated tennis enthusiast.

"It is natural for us to support tennis and partner with Ikoyi 1938 club. During this showcase, we anticipate witnessing exceptional actions with many thrilling moments," he stated.

The Providus Bank Tennis Grand Slam commences today, October 19, with the finals scheduled for October 28 at Ikoyi 1938 Tennis Section, Ikoyi, Lagos.

N5M up for grabs as maiden Providus Bank Tennis Grandslam serves off at Ikoyi 1938 club

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