No fewer than 72 male senior players and 32 female senior players, served off the 2024 Prime Atlantic National Squash Open on Monday in Lagos.
The competition also has 24 junior male players competing at the U-16 category and 18 junior female players in the U-16 category.
The event which is the third edition seeks to discover new players especially at the U-16 category.
The event holding at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, Lagos which served off on July 15 will end on July 20.
Wasiu Sanni, a former national Squash champion and currently the Lagos State Technical Director, said that the event is aimed at discovering new talents.
“This is the third edition of the tournament and it has improved a lot of players who can be nurtured to world stardom.
“It will also give opportunities to U-16 players that will be discovered by the state and nurtured to higher categories of the game.
“It is also a world ranking competition recognised by the Professional Squash Association where the eventual winners get 50 points in world ranking,”Sanni said.
In the opening match of the tournament, Samuel Nduka-Uba beat Opeyemi Omotayo in three straight sets, 11-6, 11-8 and 15-13.
Nduka-Uba who said he was excited over his victory over Omotayo, said that he was able to achieve the result because he was well prepared for the competition.
“It was a good game; I was able to win the match because I am better prepared. I look forward to other games to come in the competition.
“I played very hard and noticed my opponent was not fit for the match so I capitalised by playing a very hard game that gave me the victory,”Nduka-Uba said.
Opeyemi Omotayo said he was not fit for the game and struggled from the beginning to the end.
“I am not fully prepared and not very fit, my opponent was also very tough and hard to conquer, I lost to a tougher player,”Opeyemi said.
In other results at the ongoing competition, Benjamin Monday defeated Moses Elekanachi in three straight sets, 11-7. 11-6, 11-7.
Ismail Abubakar beat Muhibudeen Shehu, 11-4, 11-9, 12-10 while Usman Musa defeated Alaba Ogunyemi, 11-8, 11-3, 11-9.
Joshua Daniel beat Samuel Adegbero, 11-9, 11-8, 8-11 and 11-5. Asade Samson walked over Philip Benson.
James Nduka-Uba walked over Sunday Moses and Oladipupo Ayomide walked over Miracle Ekpo,
