The fourth edition of the Prime Atlantic Squash Tournament began in Lagos State commenced with a total of 190 players competing for the N8m prize pool at this year’s championship at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere.
The figure represents a significant increase from the 150 participants recorded in the 2025 edition, and the Chairman of the Prime Atlantic Squash Tournament, Tomi Falase, says the annual championship has continued to serve as a vital platform for discovering and nurturing talent while promoting the growth of squash in Nigeria.
According to him, the steady rise in participation reflects the growing popularity of the sport and the impact of sustained efforts to develop squash at the grassroots level.
“We are looking forward to more improvements in this year’s edition. Every year, we witness growth in both participation and the quality of competition.
“There are more players competing this year than we had last year, which is a positive sign for the development of squash in the country,” he said.
Falase noted that the championship had evolved into one of the biggest squash events in Nigeria and commended sponsors for their continued commitment to the sport.
“We are very grateful to Prime Atlantic and our other partners for supporting this tournament.
“We need more corporate organisations to invest in squash because sponsorship is critical to the growth of the game and the development of young talents,” he said.
Speaking on the emergence of younger players, Falase expressed optimism about the future of Nigerian squash, citing the increasing competitiveness among junior athletes.
“There has been remarkable improvement among the younger players.
“They are becoming more competitive and are beginning to challenge the established stars.
“We are seeing encouraging growth at the grassroots level, and I believe that in the next few years, more female players will emerge to compete at the highest level.
“That is good for the game because it creates healthy competition and helps to raise standards,” he said.
Also speaking, the Tournament Director, Wasiu Sanni, a former national No. 1 player, commended the organisers for sustaining the championship but expressed concern over the pace of development in the women’s category, calling for increased efforts to encourage female participation.
Some of the players, including Ebifemi Taiwo and Samuel Nduka, who reached the quarter-finals in the previous edition, expressed confidence in surpassing their earlier performances.
In the opening-day matches, David Agbaje defeated Mohammed Azim 3-0, while Daniel Awe also recorded a 3-0 victory over Godswill Ejiro.
In the U-19 Boys’ category, Usman Abdusalami defeated Omotayo Ayomi 3-1.