The Chairman of Enugu State Squash Association, Paul Okechukwu, on Friday in Enugu said the state would be featuring five players at the forthcoming cadet squash tournaments in Lagos.
Okechukwu told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the state would be represented by two girls and three boys in the U-13 and U-16 categories.
NAN reports that the tournaments would hold from April 11 to April 14 for the U-13 and April 18 to April 21 for the U-16.
“We have four competitions this year, but we are going for only two, as the people we are going with are school children and there is a clash in the dates.
“So, we are going for the U-13 and U-16 Sunfit Fitness SPA Tournament, taking place in Lagos from April 11 to 14, and the Ex-Pros National Squash Tournament also in Lagos from April 18 to 21.
“Why we want to attend the two is to expose the players because they need to go outside the state to test their might with children from other states of the federation.
“This time around we are going with five players, two girls and three boys, and some of them are below the age of 16 years and some below 13 years,’’ the association chairman said.
He added that in terms of preparation the players had been training mostly at weekends, since the schools are still in session.
“Now that the schools are about to close, we are going to be training everyday till when we will leave for Lagos for the tournament,’’ Okechukwu said.
He however told NAN that the challenges the association was facing had to do with the logistics for the trip to the tournaments in Lagos.
“We have 13 days to spend in Lagos and it is going to be hectic and expensive. But, with the help of well-meaning Nigerians, government and sports lovers, we are going to do well. This is because we are going with determination.
“So, we are asking well-meaning Nigerians to come to our aid, so that these players will be well exposed to the game of squash at all times,’’ Okechukwu said.
He also called for the regular organisation of tournaments in the state to help discover and develop budding grassroots talents.
“This will boost the profile of the state during national and international competitions,’’ the association chairman said.(NAN)
Comments