More than 200 young players from across the country filled the courts of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja, for the 2025 edition of our Junior Tennis Clinic and Tournament, held from June 26 to 28 in collaboration with the FCT Tennis Association.
The two-day clinic came first: modern techniques, fundamentals, and plenty of court time for boys and girls from U-10 through U-18. Saturday belonged to the tournament. We planned four competitive categories — the turnout made us expand to nine.
Every child went home with gear: rackets, balls, strings, and shoes, much of it collected over months of fundraising by our volunteers and supporters in the United States.
From ball kid to founder
This event is personal. Our founder, Sadiq Tswako, started on these same courts at age nine — as a ball kid. Coach Sunday Samuel, Head Coach of the FCT Tennis Association, began training him in 2006, and by sixteen Sadiq had earned a tennis scholarship to the United States.
“I started right on this court, just like these young players, with little access to rackets, balls, and tennis shoes. Looking back, I felt the need to come back and do what I can for the next generation of players.”
“He chose to return and give back to the community where he started,” Coach Samuel said. “It gives young and upcoming players the chance to learn from his experience, with access to resources and opportunities to grow.”
Eight years, and growing
This was our eighth edition. What began as a small gathering at the Abuja Country Club Life Camp became a regional competition drawing players from six states last year — and this year, a full clinic-and-tournament format. Next: we plan to bring the programme to Niger and Lagos States, and we are actively seeking Nigerian sponsors and partners to grow this into a truly national event.
What our visiting coaches saw
Three volunteers from New York joined our coaching team this year, among them American coach Natasha Sauerborn, who later wrote about the trip in Tennis Nomad's Journal.
She noticed what we see every day: tennis balls used long past the point most players would call them dead. Younger kids volunteering as ball boys during the older players' matches, hoping a match ball gets handed down afterwards. And on the day rain made the courts unplayable, the kids didn't go home — they invented a game of mini-tennis under the stands and kept playing.
“If they could play without access to basic equipment or consistent coaching, how far could they go with the right support?”
The President of the Nigeria Tennis Federation, Engr. Dayo Akindoju, attended the finals and urged more former players and stakeholders to invest in the future of Nigerian tennis.
2025 final results
- Boys U-10: Elvis Godwin def. Bright Alex — 10–5 (tie-break)
- Girls U-10: Mary Felix def. Miracle Azi — 10–1 (tie-break)
- Boys U-12: Yakubu Miracle def. Emmanuel Bebe — 4–0, 4–2
- Girls U-12: Charity Felix def. Ivana Abu — 0–4, 5–3, 10–6
- Boys U-14: Ridwan Sadiq def. Onche Wisdom
- Girls U-14: Salvation Alex def. Blessing Peter
- Boys U-16: Chukwudubem Amasiani def. Mohammed Amir — 4–2, 4–2
- Girls U-16: Tolu Agunbiade def. Favour Godwin — 4–1, 4–2
- Boys U-18: Musa Mamud def. Yahuza Bello — 4–1, 4–0
Every child is a potential champion. To the families, coaches, volunteers, and donors who made this edition possible — thank you. If you'd like to help us reach Niger and Lagos, get involved.