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NCC Tennis: Kalotari, Ogun battle for White Group

By Christian Okpara
14 August 2015   |   2:42 am
The biggest game in the Nigerian Communications Commission’s (NCC) Tennis League will hold in Port Harcourt this weekend with Team Kalotari and Team Ogun fighting for the leadership of the White Group.

NCCThe biggest game in the Nigerian Communications Commission’s (NCC) Tennis League will hold in Port Harcourt this weekend with Team Kalotari and Team Ogun fighting for the leadership of the White Group.

It is the final group round robin match, which will also give Nigerian tennis fans an insight into what to expect at the forthcoming All Africa Games. This is because the two teams are featuring players, who will represent the country at the All Africa Games.

These players are expected to be in top shape, as they would be coming from the All Africa Games trials in Abuja.

Ronke Akingbade, the lead female player in Team Ogun, beat Osariemen Airhunmwunde narrowly in three sets in the trials, but will have to contend with home support for her opponent in Port Harcourt.

Aanu Ayegbusi and CBN Open Champion, Thomas Out, are also in the Africa Games camp and look to bring that exposure to strengthen the Kalotari team.

Looking forward to an interesting challenge in Port Harcourt, Team Ogun’s Captain, Abel Ubiebi, says, “We know it’s a very crucial tie and leading the group means playing the second placed team from the Blue Group and that is something to fight for.

“We are expecting Joseph Imeh, who went to train at an Academy in the USA and with Monday Igbinovia and Ronke in fine form, we should give Kalotari a lot of trouble.”

With both teams leaving nothing to chance, the doubles will appear to be crucial.

There, the Kalotari team will, on paper, be the favourites to take the men’s and mixed doubles events as they have Sunday Maku, the current national doubles champion in their ranks.

The encounter at the Port Harcourt Club will start tomorrow morning with two men’s singles, a ladies singles and men’s doubles. The reverse singles for men and the mixed doubles will follow on Sunday morning.

Arinola Isa and Kosmos Ntemuse are the ITF certified white badges designated for the encounter.

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