Gabriel Olufunmilayo and Busayo Olatunji defied expectations by defeating top seeds Samuel Kehinde and Rofiat Abdulazeez to claim the titles of men’s and women’s champions at the inaugural Rernco Squash Tournament.
The electrifying finals of the tournament took place at the prestigious Ikoyi Club, where Olufunmilayo, after already defeating second seed Onas Adegoke in the semifinals, delivered an exceptional performance to secure the first two sets with scores of 12-10, 11-4.
Not backing down, Kehinde fought back and won the third set 11-5, but Olufunmilayo remained unbeatable, regaining control of the game and emerging victorious in the fourth set with a score of 11-6.
The women’s final followed a similar storyline as Olatunji showcased a brilliant form, propelling her to a 3-1 victory (11-7, 8-11, 12-10, 11-5) over Abdulazeez. Both winners walked away with $1,000 and other prizes.
Rerhe Idonije, the Founder and CEO of Rernco Sports Academy (RSA), expressed her delight at the successful tournament. She extended her gratitude to Ikoyi Club, Zenith Bank, Nigeria Breweries, Nestle, and others for their support of the event.
“The objective of RSA is to promote squash as a leading sport in Nigeria, while also using sport as a platform to provide a meaningful life for young boys and girls,” she commented.
Lanre Oladimeji, Zenith Bank’s DGM and Group Head of Retail Banking, affirmed the bank’s commitment to the advancement of squash and sports in general throughout Nigeria.
“As a responsible corporate organization, we view our involvement in sports as a privilege. Sport is an avenue to promote peace and unite people globally, and we are thrilled to be part of any sporting events,” he said.
Boye Oyerinde, the President of the Nigeria Squash Federation, stated that the introduction of the Rernco Open will make a significant contribution to the growth of squash in Nigeria. Oyerinde was pleased with the presentation of a router to the Federation by Tizeti, an internet service provider, which he said would be utilized to stream international tournaments and foster the interest of Nigerian players in excelling on a global scale.