The President of the Nigeria Squash Federation (NSF), Boye Oyerinde, said that 2023 has been one of the biggest surprises in Squash in Nigeria, as there has been a rise in the game in the country.
Mr. Oyerinde made this assertion on Saturday while speaking with journalists at the Squash court of the Moshood Abiola Stadium, Abuja, during the finals of the 2023 Abuja Squash Open.
The NSF president acknowledged the fact that athletes have had a good year.
“It’s been an interesting year. This is most likely the final tournament of the year, and it’s a PSA event. This is about the tenth PSA tournament of the year, so you can’t ask for more. 2023 has been one of the biggest surprises. There is a really good rise in the game of squash in Nigeria, and we are happy about it. It’s been a very good year for our players.”
Mr. Oyerinde also applauded Bala Sports Limited (BSL) and Childcare and Wellness Clinics, the organizers of the maiden Abuja Squash Open, for the cash prize, as he believes Squash will build on what they achieved in 2023 in 2024.
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Meanwhile, Mr. Ochonogor Kingsley, the Health Service Manager of Childcare and Wellness Clinics, said the game is interesting, and that’s why the stakeholders supported the tournament.
“We love the sport. We love the game of squash. From what we have seen so far, it’s breathtaking, it’s intense. We play squash one way or another but we don’t know that it’s called squash. It’s very interesting and that is why the stakeholders involved have decided to support it.
The coming years will be better than this one since it’s its maiden competition. Of course, there are certain rooms for improvement.”
The women’s category of the Abuja Squash Open 2023 Finals saw Nigeria’s number 1, Rofiat Abdulazeez, crowned the first female champion of the tournament after achieving a flawless 3-0 victory (11/7, 11/5, 11/6) over a returning Busayo Olatunji.
Meanwhile, in the Men’s category, Gabriel Olufunmilayo pulled off an upset by winning all three sets against Nigeria’s number one, Onaopemipo Adegoke, with scores of 14/12, 11/6, 11/7, to become the champion.
Both champions went home with ₦500,000 each. However, they weren’t the only winners, as a raffle draw also took place, and spectators went home with various items, including a brand new car.
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