Joseph Imeh and Marylove Edward will lead over 120 players as the 2021 Rainoil Tennis Championship serves off Friday at the Lagos Country Club, Ikeja.
Both players, who are top of the Nigeria Tennis Federations rankings, have been on top of their games recently winning the last two national tennis tournaments in October in Kano and November in Abuja and all eyes will be on them for the nine-day tournament.
Group Managing Director of Rainoil, Gabriel Ogbechie, disclosed that a total of a total of 6.1 million naira in prize money up for grabs in four categories.
At a media briefing on Thursday to herald the tournament. Ogbechie, who was represented by Emmanuel Omuojine, Group Head, Strategy and Business Development, disclosed that winner of the Men’s Singles will go home with N600,000 while winner of the Ladies singles will get N500,000 with their runners-up pocketing N300,000 and N250,000 respectively.
According to him, the company’s decision to be sponsoring the annual championship which was not held last year because of the COVID- 19 Pandemic was as result of its commitment towards tennis development in the country noting that he is happy with the successes recorded in the more than a decade of the competition.
“We at Rainoil are happy that the championship that began more than a decade a ago is still ongoing and has recorded many successes with many talented players discovered. Apart from last year when the tournament did not hold because of COVID-19 pandemic, we have been consistent in organizing it and kudos must go to the Lagos Country Club and the Nigeria Tennis Federation for their support over the years which have encouraged us to do more.”
