Two CBN Junior Masters champions get Zenith’s ‘Next Gen’ wild cards

Two winners at the just concluded CBN Junior Tennis Championship, Gabriel Friday and Oiza Yakubu have been given wild card entries to the Zenith Bank ‘Next Gen” Junior Masters scheduled to hold in Lagos from Aopril 24 to 28.

Friday from Kaduna won the Boys’ 16 category, while Yakubu from Lagos took the Girls’ 14 title at the CBN championship.

According to International Tennis Academy (ITA), organisers of the inaugural event, the decision to award the wild cards was based on the outstanding performance of the two players in the junior championship.

“They both displayed a very high level of play and we hope that giving them a wild card and having them take part in the Zenith Masters will boost their confidence,” Godwin Kienka, director of the ITA said.

Kienka explained that the Zenith Bank “Next Gen” Masters, featuring eight boys and girls in the 17 to 18 age bracket, is aimed at fast tracking their progress into the senior ranks.

“Seven of these players who all developed through the ITA Junior Tennis Circuit platform are already in the top 30 of the senior ranking list,” he said.

The players invited for the Masters event are Godgift Timibra, Michael Oshewa, Stephen Augustine, Chris Itodo, Tochukwu Ezeh, Abayomi Philips, Emmanuel Jebutu and Michael Ayoola for the boys’ event.