The 2022 Rainoil Tennis Open serve off today at the Ikoyi Club 1938 in Lagos.
Themed ‘Level Up Your Game’, the seven-day tournament is co-sponsored by Stanbic IBTC Bank and will feature 144 players, promising to be bigger than ever.
The Group Managing Director of Rainoil Limited, Dr. Gabriel Ogbechie OON, said Rainoil Limited, in partnership with Stanbic IBTC, is making this year’s edition of the tournaments the biggest ever by increasing the prize money to N1,500,000 and N1,000,000 for male and female winners, respectively.
According to Ogbechie, Rainoil Limited has been sponsoring tennis for more than twelve years in Nigeria, adding tennis is a sport that can take our young boys and girls not just out of poverty but into prosperity.
“The top tennis players in the world are young boys and girls in their teenage years, and they are making very big waves all around the world,” he said.
“To this end, Rainoil Limited is deliberate about giving the young ones opportunities to play tennis, and the total prize money for this year’s edition has been increased to N13 million.”
Ogbechie said Rainoil Limited is actively looking for opportunities to support any young person whose tennis career looks promising, as this will further strengthen tennis in Nigeria.
He further advised the Nigeria Tennis Federation to invest heavily in tennis and attract more corporate sponsors in order to provide more opportunities for young people to shine.
He added that the annual tournament is one of many ways Rainoil Limited is contributing to society and expressed hope that the tournament will produce the world’s best tennis player in the near future.
The Players Representative of the Nigeria Tennis Federation, Sunday Essien, said the 2022 Rainoil Tennis Open will have 64 players play the men’s singles, 32 players play the women’s singles, 32 players play the men’s doubles, and 16 players play the women’s doubles during the tournament.
commended Rainoil for its unwavering support for the game of tennis and urged more corporate organizations to emulate Rainoil Limited.
Lady Captain of Tennis at the Ikoyi Club 1938, Mrs. Chizoba Onuoha, expressed gratitude to Rainoil Limited for bringing the tournament to the Eko Club 1938. According to her, the club is proud to be hosting the tournament and is encouraging the youth to grab the opportunities being offered by the tournament.