Nigerian squash players excel in Canada
Nigerian squash players Onaopemipo Adegoke and Babatunde Ajagbe have advanced to the round of 16 at the ongoing Goodfellow Classic 2024 in Toronto, Canada.
Adegoke, the top-ranked squash player in Nigeria’s men’s category, displayed resilience by overcoming an initial setback to secure his spot in the last 16 of the tournament.
In his first match, Adegoke staged a comeback after losing the opening set, defeating Canada’s Abbas Nawaz with a scoreline of 3-1 (6-11, 11-5, 13-11, 12-10) in a thrilling encounter lasting 49 minutes. Meanwhile, Ajagbe demonstrated his prowess by outplaying another Canadian, Jayden Shortt, with a score of 3-1 (7-11, 11-7, 11-6, 11-7) in under 30 minutes.
Looking ahead, Adegoke is set to face Alejandro Reyes from Mexico, while Ajagbe will compete against Elliott Morris from Wales in the round of 16.
Expressing his determination, Adegoke stated, “It’s my dream to win the Goodfellow Classic to boost my rankings because it will boost my ranking. I remain focused because there are lots of tough opponents here, like Ajagbe and Abdelrahman Abdelkhalek from Egypt.”
ABOUT SQUASH IN NIGERIA
The game, which was introduced to the country in the early 1970s, is gradually gaining popularity more than expected and is managed and coordinated by the Nigeria Squash Federation (NSF) and other sports associations and clubs such as the Professional Squash Association (PSA) and Nigeria Squash Professional Association (NSPA) which was later established to help in the promotion and development of the sports in the country.
Nigeria has produced more squash players recently than when it was initially introduced. This is so because the sport has been effectively promoted through various local, national, and international tournaments and championships, which the federation for the sports fixed for players across Africa and the globe at large.
HOW IS SQUASH PLAYED
The game is played on a court and requires the players to jump, run, dive, and more, all in an attempt not to miss the ball. The game is exciting and usually requires two players at one end.
