Nigeria’s female top seed, Barakat Quadri, was unstoppable at the 2024 National Sports Festival in Abeokuta, inspiring Delta State to two gold medals in the tennis event, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
On Monday, the US-based tennis star clinched the women’s doubles title after partnering Ronke Akingbade in the final against Lovely Holzendorf and Blessing Omotayo of Edo State.
Quadri and Akingbade stretched their opponents, winning 6-2, 6-2 to clinch the gold medal.
The 22-year-old Quadri had won the gold medal in the women’s singles on Sunday, beating home girl Yakubu Ohunene of Ogun State 6-1, 6-1.
In the men’s doubles final, which was also decided on Monday, the pair of Azeez Aleem and Christopher Bulus of Ogun State were too powerful for David Ekpeyong and Uche Oparaoji of Bayelsa State, beating them in a thrilling three-set game after losing the first.
Bulus had also won gold in the men’s singles event on Sunday after beating Ekpeyong in the final. He won the first set 6-2 and was leading 2-0 in the second before his opponent retired.
In the mixed doubles final played on Monday as well, Quadri was denied a hat-trick of gold when she paired Ikechukwu Iloputa in the final.
They faced Ogun State’s duo Bulus and Ohunene, who won 6-1, 6-4.
President of the Nigeria Tennis Federation, Ifedayo Akindoju believes that the sport is growing in Nigeria, going by the quality of matches at the sports festival.
“The final matches were epic, very good. At some point one of the players had some cramps and slowed down the game, but all the same the level was high, I am satisfied with the standard.”
