500 juniors battle in TPPA tennis tourney
Over 500 junior tennis players will compete for Universal Tennis Rating points in the Tennis Players Parents Association tournament which served off across 12 cities on Wednesday, NewsNGR Sports Extra reports.
The tournament, which will be held in two legs, features boys and girls competing in the 12, 14 and 16 age categories, with only Lagos hosting the youth category during the regional qualifiers.
TPPA President Segun Aluko said the tournament was designed to help players earn UTR points, which could boost their chances of securing college scholarships.
“The idea is for the kids to play regular tournaments across different times of the year,” Aluko said.
“We are also conscious of their academics, so we don’t fix the tournaments at times that will impede their studies.”
The first leg of regional qualifiers will be hosted in Ilorin, Kano, Abuja, Minna, Ibadan, Owerri, Benin, Port Harcourt, Jos, Uyo, Abeokuta and Lagos from February to early March, with the second leg scheduled for March. The national grand finale will be held in Lagos in April.
TPPA executive member Jude Osaji explained that the tournament would complement other international events in helping players improve their UTR rankings.
“The ratings are automatic, and even when these kids get the opportunity to play ITF events or other tournaments in that cadre, it also reflects on their UTR points,” Osaji said.
“So, what our tournament does is to further boost their chances of getting more points while they await other events.”
Leading tennis coach Paul Moses compared the TPPA event to the London Tennis Association system, emphasizing its importance for player development.
“The beauty of the UTR tournament organized by the TPPA is that these kids get to play more tournaments and that is very essential for every tennis player, especially at that stage,” Moses said.
“They have to keep playing, and when they do, they will definitely improve and their rankings will also be a way to measure this growth over the years.”
The UTR system, which rates players on a scale up to 16 points for the world’s highest-ranked players, allows participants to compete locally while earning globally recognized points.
