By Victor Kanayo
Nigeria and South Africa are set to face off later this week in the Davis Cup World Group II tennis playoffs in Pretoria.
Ahead of the encounter, selected Nigerian players are making their way to the venue, with those based outside Nigeria joining the team in South Africa.
This was revealed by the Nigeria Tennis Federation (NTF), which announced that four players have been selected for the tournament: US-based Christopher Bulus and David Ekpeyong, alongside home-based talents Canice Abua and Micheal Emmanuel.
According to the NTF, Bulus and Ekpeyong will arrive in Pretoria directly from the United States, while the domestic players will depart from Lagos.
The locally based players have been training in Abuja for months in preparation for the Davis Cup and are currently in Lagos for a six-day camping session.
Nigeria secured their spot in the World Group II playoffs by earning one of three tickets, alongside Zimbabwe and Namibia, at the Africa Group III Qualifying event held in Abuja last year. This marked a significant milestone following the country’s promotion to the Africa Group III after years of near-misses.
Meanwhile, Nigerian Paralympic bronze medalist Eniola Bolaji has made history once again by clinching gold at the Egypt Para Badminton International 2025.
Bolaji delivered a dominant performance in the women’s SL3 final on Sunday, defeating Sweden’s Hillevi Salomonsson 2-0 (21-1, 21-2).
The African champion demonstrated exceptional skill throughout the tournament, securing straight-set victories against Shahinda Mohamed (21-7, 21-2), Basma Nabil-Fawzy (21-6, 21-4), and Elizabeth Puma (21-2, 21-4) in earlier rounds.
According to the Badminton World Federation, Bolaji has participated in 10 international championships over the past two years, winning all of them. This remarkable feat solidifies her status as a dominant force in Para Badminton.
