Minister of State for Industry, Sen. John Owan Enoh, has pledged to continue to support sports development in Cross River.
The Minister stated this on Saturday at the grand finale of the second edition of the Renewed Hope and People First National Tennis Open in Calabar.
The tournament sponsored by Enoh, the immediate past Minister of Sports Development drew top players from across Nigeria.
The highly entertaining final took place at the hard court of the Calabar Sports Club 1898.
John Nubari and Rebecca Ekpenyong stole the show at the hotly contested finals in the men’s and women’s category respectively.
Nubari pipped Maxwell Timiprie, while Ekpenyong defeated Aliyah Precious to smile home with cash prizes, gifts and trophies.
The highly enthusiastic crowd had a lot to cheer as the hard hitting dueling players displayed their mastery of the game with powerful drives and wonderful backhand strokes executed with utmost precision.
The highly pulsating games tested the technical depth and calculations of the players who spoke with their rackets in a bid to outwit their stubborn opponents. .
The focus is for players in the state to have the needed exposure to excell in the sports of tennis while fostering the spirit of unity and sportsmanship amongst Nigerians and sports lovers.
Enoh said that the tournament not only celebrates excellence, but reinforces the importance of industry, tourism, and sports as catalysts for socio-economic development.
He said although he was no longer Minister of Sports, he will continue to support the growth and development of Tennis and sports in Cross River his home state.
The minister restated his commitment to increasing the prize money in subsequent editions of the tournament.
