Ambassador Joy Obayemi, convener of the AACT Amazon Tennis Tournament, expressed her excitement following the successful inaugural edition of the event at the Lagos Lawn Tennis Club, Onikan, which was held on March 8, 2025, to mark International Women’s Day. The tournament, which saw participation from over 23 clubs, brought together students and local tennis enthusiasts under one roof, creating a vibrant atmosphere and uniting the tennis community in Lagos.
Speaking to Sports247, Obayemi shared her joy about the event. “I’m super excited. I’m overwhelmed with joy. It’s a joy to conceive an idea, but seeing it in reality, the picture says volume gives so much light. This creates so much excitement in the tennis community in Lagos, and I’m happy. Here, we have over 23 clubs, and I’m happy that the Lagos Lawn Tennis Club opened their doors to welcome every other club under one roof to celebrate International Women’s Day,” she said.
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Obayemi explained that the planning process included a registration link that quickly reached full capacity with 70 players within five days. “We had full capacity of 70 players, and we needed to shut the link down immediately. Then we now focused our attention on publicity so that other people could come in and watch and see what was happening,” she added.
On securing sponsorship, Obayemi noted, “It was a late response from many sponsors, but we were prepared. If they come, fine! If they don’t, we still had other plans down. And a big shout out to all the brands who have made themselves visible to support this maiden edition. However, we still need more sponsorship to add even more value to the event.”
Looking ahead, she emphasized the tournament’s role in boosting local tennis talent. “The Amazon Tennis Tournament is open for our young professional players. It gives them a platform to display their talents and could even attract sponsors who might support their tennis careers,” Obayeme explained. “I want every woman to stay healthy and pick up a sport. Tennis is a great sport if you can afford it, and I encourage everyone to join a club, register, and start playing.”
Obayemi concluded by saying, “I hope everyone who is here today takes this experience home and finds inspiration to go and play tennis. This is history in the making.”
