The ongoing Destiny Ford Da-Silva Tennis Open Championship has been hailed as a major boost for wheelchair tennis in Nigeria, with the introduction of wheelchair doubles and the inclusion of veterans among its categories.
Nigeria’s number two wheelchair tennis player, Wasiu Yusuf, said the N30m championship had created opportunities for athletes with disabilities to demonstrate their abilities while competing for significant prize money.
Yusuf, who expressed delight at the inclusion of wheelchair players in the competition, said the introduction of wheelchair doubles was particularly significant, noting that the category had not previously featured in their competitions.
“I’m happy that once again we’ve had a championship where people with disabilities can showcase the stuff they are made of. It’s the best financial prize for able-bodied and wheelchair players,” he said.
“We’ve never played wheelchair doubles before now, but at this championship we have wheelchair doubles and veterans’ events. We are grateful for this because it has changed the face of wheelchair tennis in Nigeria.”
The nine-day championship, organised by the Destiny Ford Da-Silva Foundation, began yesterday at the tennis section of the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos, and will run until November 21.
The competition features men’s and women’s singles and doubles, wheelchair men’s and women’s singles and doubles, as well as men’s veterans singles, with a total prize purse of ₦30m.
Former Nigerian number one tennis player and Davis Cup star, Destiny Ford Da-Silva, said the championship was conceived as part of his desire to give back to the sport that helped shape his career.
Da-Silva recalled the opportunities provided by the Governor’s Cup Lagos Tennis Championship during Tinubu’s tenure as Lagos governor, saying he wanted younger players to enjoy similar opportunities.
“I want to give back to tennis what tennis gave me. We used to have the Governor’s Cup Lagos Tennis Championship when President Bola Tinubu was Lagos governor. Unfortunately, that era is gone, and it’s one of the reasons I felt that if I could enjoy that kind of benefit back then, the new generation of players deserved the same thing,” he said.
“With the little God blessed me with, I decided to do something like that. It’s a dream come true. If you come to the stadium, what you see is amazing because we have to give back to tennis.”
The Governor’s Cup, which became a major fixture on Nigeria’s tennis calendar, was subsequently rebranded as the Lagos Open in 2018.
The men’s and women’s singles champions at the Da-Silva Open will each receive ₦1.5m, while the remaining prize money will be shared among the other categories. The organisers have also provided a ₦30,000 subsidy for every main-draw player.