Young Squash Players Excel at Ikoyi Club Tournament

Young squash players did well at the annual children’s Squashtival tournament organized by Ikoyi Club 1938. Khadijat Durosinlorun and Abdul Hamid Durosinlorun were the champions in the girls’ and boys’ categories respectively, according to PUNCH Sports Extra.

The tournament was part of the club’s program to develop children’s squash skills. It attracted young players who had been training hard for weeks before the competition.

Khadijat, who won last year too, expressed her joy at defending her title. She credited her success to regular training and support from her family.

“Well, I’m very, very happy that I won. I was actually the one that won last year, and I’m happy I’m able to win this year’s one too,” she said.

“I actually train a lot. I train every day, so I feel like I have done a lot to win, and I deserve to win this time.”

Khadijat dedicated her win to her father, mother, and sister for their support and training.

In the boys’ category, Abdul Hamid Durosinlorun shared that he felt great knowing his parents were proud of his success.

“It feels really great winning because my mum and dad are very proud of me,” he said.

“I just started doing my training. I started swimming for the first time and all of those exercises. I will dedicate my victory to my dad because he trained me.”

Oluwole Sojinrin, the Chairman of the Squash Section at Ikoyi Club 1938, noted that this year's tournament showed significant growth in both the number of participants and the quality of play compared to past events.

“I’m very impressed. Judging comparatively between last year and this year, we can see that the children have improved. Participation has also grown, and our coaches are more interested and happier that the number of children grew and the intensity of the game has improved,” Sojinrin said.

He explained that the program, now in its 22nd year, started as a way for club members to encourage their children to enjoy squash. Mini-tournaments were added in recent years to help children experience competitive squash after their training.

Sojinrin mentioned that the three-week summer holiday program allowed children to stay active while learning new skills. He stated it helped improve their health and fitness. But he pointed out that keeping children involved after the holidays is a big challenge. Many find it hard to attend weekend training once schools start again, with some going back to schools outside Lagos or even outside Nigeria.

He urged parents to keep encouraging their children to participate, saying that commitment is important for improvement.

The chairman also thanked the sponsors of the tournament. He noted that Amala.com helped with the final-day activities first, followed by Zenith Bank and George Lagos Hotel in recent years.

Ifiemi Berepubo, who represented George Lagos Hotel, Ikoyi, mentioned that the hotel supports the event because it believes in giving back to society and promoting healthy lifestyles for children.

“George Hotel Ikoyi Lagos has been sponsoring this particular event for several years, and it is something we love to do because we give charity to society, and this one is for children,” she said. She added that the hotel aims to continue supporting the tournament in future editions.

In the girls’ category, Toluwalase Balogun was the runner-up. Ireoluwa Alabi and Adaeze Ezeh shared the third place. In the boys’ event, Chinua Ezeh was the runner-up, while Temitayo Onabolu and Ikechi Ezeh shared third place.