By Aderonke Ojo
The Nigeria Tennis Federation (NTF) says 14 countries, including host nation Nigeria, will participate in the 2026 NASCO/ITF J30 World Tennis Tour Junior Championship taking in Abuja.
The participating countries are Nigeria, Cameroon, China, Great Britain, Canada, Sri Lanka, Liberia, Lithuania, India, Togo, Benin Republic, the U.S., Sweden, and France.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the prestigious junior tennis tournament will kick-off from June 2 to June 13, at the Tennis Complex of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja.
The two-week competition provides a premier platform for talented young players aged 13 to 18 to compete for official ITF World Tennis Tour Junior ranking points while gaining valuable international exposure.
Saidu Musa, Technical Director of the Federation and Tournament Director, said this at a news conference ahead of the championship in Abuja.
He described the tournament as a major milestone in the federation’s grassroots tennis development programme.
According to him, the ITF Junior World Tennis Tour programme began in Nigeria in 2019 and has grown into one of the federation’s most successful talent development initiatives.
“This is about the sixth edition of the ITF Junior World Tennis Tour that we are organising in Nigeria.
“The programme is independently run by the NTF, and we are delighted that this year NASCO Group has joined us as a sponsor.
“We hope this marks the beginning of a long-term partnership that will further enhance grassroots tennis development in the country,” he said.
Musa expressed appreciation to the President of the Nigeria Tennis Federation, Victor Ochei, board members, and NASCO Group for supporting the initiative.
He highlighted the impact of the J30 and J60 tournaments on Nigerian tennis, noting that members of Nigeria’s current Davis Cup team are products of the junior circuit.
Musa said that one of the beneficiaries of the programme recently featured in the qualifying rounds of the Junior French Open at Roland Garros.
“The J30 Junior Series is a developmental programme designed to produce the next generation of players who will represent Nigeria at the highest level. We are gradually achieving that objective,” he said.
He further said that the federation has successfully organised the tournaments for six years without external sponsorship.
He commended former NTF President, late Dayo Akindoju, and Secretary-General Shammah Makpa for sustaining the programme.
The NTF currently hosts six weeks of junior tournaments annually, comprising four weeks in Abuja and two weeks in Lagos, with plans to expand the circuit as more corporate partners come on board.
Also speaking, Joseph Oke, Tournament Coordinator representing NASCO Foods Group, reaffirmed the company’s commitment to youth development through sports.
“It is an honour for NASCO to be part of this tournament. One of our core visions is education and youth empowerment.
“Nigeria is blessed with immense sporting talents, but without structured competitions like this, it becomes difficult to identify, develop and expose young athletes to international opportunities,” he said.
He noted that NASCO has previously supported sports such as cycling, polo, and golf, but is entering tennis sponsorship for the first time.
“This is not a one-time intervention. We intend to grow with the tournament. Today it is J30; our vision is to support its growth to J60, J100, and even higher-level events in the future.
“We believe in thinking big and pursuing excellence, and we are committed to helping Nigerian tennis reach greater heights,” he added.
Representing the International Tennis Federation (ITF), Joseph Edili emphasised the importance of quality officiating and smooth tournament administration.
“Our responsibility is to ensure that the tournament is conducted according to international standards.
“The Nigeria Tennis Federation has invested significantly in developing umpires, chair umpires and line officials who have distinguished themselves internationally,” he said.
He assured players, coaches, parents, media personnel and spectators of a safe, professional and well-organised tournament environment throughout the championship.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Joseph Edeh
