The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) on Sunday gave out N17million to winners of its ‘NCC Tennis League Cup’ 2016 edition. Kaduna-based Team Offikwu, the fairy tale team of the tournament,  beat defending champions, Team Tombim, 4-2 to clinch the 2016 NCC Tennis League Cup.

In a tight but exciting tie played at the Lagos Lawn Tennis Club and watched by former Vice President, Alex Ekwueme, and the Minister of Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalung, Team Offikwu took the two reverse singles to put the tie beyond the reach of defending champions.

But it was not an easy victory as Team Offikwu had to recover from 2 -0 down on Saturday to level the tie 2 -2 and on Sunday the young team took the two reverse singles to make the last mixed doubles match inconsequential.

Sylvester Emmanuel, the arrowhead of the “comeback kids” once again proved to be the match-winner when he beat national champion, Moses Michael, 4-6, 7-6, 6-4 in what proved to be the final match.  In his remarks, Dalung praised the level of organisation of the competition, saying the success of the NCC Tennis League is a testimony that sports in Nigeria is better off being private sector driven.

“The competition was taken to all the zones of the Federation, offered huge prize monies which made several young men and women millionaires with no kobo coming from government. This is a good example for the Sports Federations to follow,” Dalung said.

Speaking at the grand finale of the competition in Lagos, the commission’s Executive Vice-Chairman, Prof. Umar Danbatta, said that the sponsorship of the league had been referred to as an economic empowerment platform for the sporting youths.

The sum of N7million was given to the winner of the championship, N5million to the first runner-up, N3million to the second runner-up and N2million to the third runner-up. It was an improvement on last year’s winner’s money of N5 million.

Danbatta, represented by Mr Reuben Muoka, Head, Public Relations, NCC, said that the league had afforded Nigeria’s best players the opportunity to confront each other on several occasions and at different venues, within a tennis-calendar year.

He said that since July 14, 2016 when the draws for 10 teams for the tournament were held, it had been weeks of intensive tennis action.

According to him, the league has kept Nigeria’s best tennis players busy, kept managers busy, kept teams owners busy and kept tennis and sports lovers excited.

“Reports reaching us indicate that this tournament is the best that has ever happened to tennis in this country in a very long time.

“The NCC tennis team has also attracted foreign-based Nigerian players home to compete.

“Seasoned tennis administrators and veterans, also tell us that the prize money has encouraged team owners and managers to work harder and made players more dedicated.

“We are also told that in just two editions of this tournament, many more Nigerian players have achieved Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) international rankings,” he said.

Danbatta said that the commission was delighted to know that the NCC Tennis Cup was contributing significantly to the improvement of the game and motivating both male and female players to aim for higher glory in the international tennis circuit.

He said that they had hoped that through the competition, players were able to sharpen their skills and would be able to compete internationally, win more laurels for themselves and put Nigeria on the international tennis map.

Danbatta called on organisations to join the commission in the development of tennis in particular and other sports in general.