Dubem Amasiani Saturday in Lagos won the Hoys 12s and Boys 14s titles at the Sapetro Futures Tennis Championship which held at the Lagos lawn tennis Club fuelling hopes of a world class tennis star ‘in the make’ for Nigeria.
The competition featured singles events in boys and girls 12s, 14s and 16s with the top two seeds in the lower age groups given wild cards into the next age group to fast track their progress.
The 12 year old precocious tennis talent being guided by his mother Judith, achieved a similar feat three week ago in Bayelsa where he also won the Boys 12s and 14s at the SNEPCo Junior Invitational Masters.
Amasiani brushed aside his younger brother Ikem 9-1 in the Boys 12s and then out-rallied a former 14 and under champion, Onyekachi Ogumjiofor from Oyo State 9 – 4.
Godwin Kienka, Director of the International Tennis Academy which runs the ITA Junior Tennis Circuit said, “ Dubem is a real world class tennis star loading. He is pretty much in the mold of Alcaraz and if they stay focused and get the right guidance nd support, which I am sure he would get, it will be only a matter of time.
“ To put the significance of Dubem’s victory in perspective, Gbolahan Olawale he beat in the Boys 14 in Yenagoa was moved to the Boys 16 in this tournament and defeated the defending Boys 16 champion, Henry Aina, in the finals.” Kienka said.
Other winners in the weeklong tournament were, Logolay Holzendoff from Benin City who defeated Gloria Samuel from Ekiti 9-4 in the Girls 14s and Mufu Atilola who again bested her rival Roseline Nana 9 – 5/in the Girls 12s singles.
The grand finale was attended by several former national champions including 1990 national champion and international coach Gabriel Out who said the junior players he saw “have better skills and are much smarter players than we were … including (Nduka) Odizor who reached the round of 16 at Wimbledon in 1983.”
