By Andrew Abah
Canice Abua has been crowned champion of the Men’s Singles event at the 47th Edition of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Open National Tennis Championship, dethroning the former champion Emmanuel Michael in two straight sets, 6-1, 6-2 in the final held in Abuja at the tennis courts of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium.
The new champion showed no fatigue as he controlled proceedings from the opening set with powerful groundstrokes, accurate servce and consistency.
Speaking after the game Abua thanked the organisers, sponsors and his support team for standing by him throughout the tournament.
“I just want to give a big shout-out to the organisers, the sponsors and everyone who inspired me. I’m really, really happy.
“This is my fifth appearance in the CBN championship , my first championship title here in Abuja. I expected a tough challenge group the defending champion Emmanuel Michael but God made it easy for me to run away with two straight sets. I really have my all despite temporary stoppage due to heavy down pour." Abua said
For the women's singles Etoro Bassey retained her title by beating Success Ogunjobi 3-6, 6-0, 6-3 in the final.
Bassey began her title campaign in the Round of 32 with a 6-1, 6-0 victory over Khadijat Salami before defeating Mary Azi 6-3, 6-4 in the Round of 16.
Her impressive run enabled her to edge out Nenrot Suwa I two straight sets 6-1, 6-0 to reach the semi-finals.
Speaking after the game Bassey commended her opponent and expressed optimism about her future in the sport.
“She is a very good player and she gave me a tough time.
“Even when my backhand was not working well, I remained focused and accepted the challenge.
“I am happy with my progress and winning at this level means a lot to me.
“I want to keep improving, keep winning titles and ultimately pursue a professional tennis career,” Bassey said.
Olayemi Cardoso, Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), has reaffirmed the bank’s commitment to talent development, youth empowerment and national unity through sports.
Represented by the Acting Director of Corporate Communications, Hakama Sidi-Ali, the governor said the CBN had remained a proud sponsor and steadfast supporter of the championship for more than four decades.
He said the bank’s support is driven by its belief in the transformative power of sports, particularly tennis, as a platform for discovering talent, building character and fostering national cohesion.
“The Central Bank of Nigeria’s commitment to this championship reflects our conviction that sports can inspire excellence, create opportunities for young people and strengthen national unity,” he said.
Cardoso said the tournament had over the years produced champions who rose from humble beginnings to attain national and international recognition.