The inaugural John Hett Sports Foundation (JHSF) squash tournament kicked off on Wednesday at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, Lagos, with top-rated players from across the country participating.
The tournament is sanctioned by the Professional Squash Association and the World Squash Federation, and both male and female participants have a chance to win the same prize money.
The players who qualify for the quarter-final, round of 16, and round of 32 will receive cash prizes, with the overall winner in each category taking home N400,000, the second-position winner receiving N200,000, and the third and fourth-placed winners in both male and female categories earning N120,000.
The event witnessed a display of impressive skills from the players, and the audience was delighted with the quality of play.
Tomi Falase, Chairman of the Lagos State Squash Association, was also impressed with the players’ performance and expressed his appreciation for the sponsors who supported the tournament.
He hoped that the tournament would continue next year and serve as an opportunity for players to prepare for the second edition of the Prime Atlantic Squash Tournament.
In the men’s category, players like Onaopemipo Adegoke, Gabriel Olufunmilayo, and Kehinde Samuel showed their prowess on the court, while in the women’s category, Rophiat AbdulAzeez, Taiwo Ebifemi, and Blessing Isaac displayed their skills.
Adegoke, the number one ranked male player, defeated Shuaib Giwa 3-0 in less than 30 minutes to qualify for the quarterfinals.
Olorunfunmi and Abudurahman Olanrewaju also made it to the finals by defeating Idowu Enimakure in 25 minutes, while Fortune La’ah lost in 17 minutes.
Tinu Adebayo, a coach, was amazed by the female players’ performance and acknowledged that their games have improved tremendously.
He applauded the organizers for offering equal prize money to both men and women, which he believed motivated the players to perform at their best.
Yusuf Durosinlorun, the Technical Director of the Nigeria Squash Federation, also expressed his excitement for the quarterfinal matches, which he was looking forward to watching.
The tournament director, Wasiu Bello, expressed his satisfaction with the players’ composure and their competitive spirit.
He stated that the players had given the audience a tremendous show so far and that he was looking forward to even better matches in the coming days.
