Founder of the Squash Premier League, T’Connor Tuodolo, has called for stronger collaboration among stakeholders to accelerate the development of squash in Nigeria, following the successful completion of the seventh Squash in Diaspora Junior Championship in Abuja.
Speaking to The Trumpet on Sunday, after the Saturday’s championship, Tuodolo said closer cooperation between former professionals, the Nigeria Squash Federation, the Squash Premier League and other stakeholders could create a stronger pathway for discovering and nurturing young talents.
The championship, which featured Under-11, Under-13 and Under-17 boys and girls, attracted more than 85 junior players from across states in the north, including 33 from the Federal Capital Territory, 13 from Plateau State and 11 from Kaduna State.
Tuodolo described the ex-oros in the diaspora initiative as an important platform for giving back to the sport and supporting the next generation of Nigerian players.
“This ex-pros diaspora has been a family. They have been some of the ex-squash players who are now representing us in the diaspora, and they have brought it back home,” he said.
The Squash Premier League founder called on more former players and stakeholders to support initiatives that expose young athletes to quality competition and development opportunities.
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Tuodolo also proposed joint programmes between the ex-pros in the diaspora and the Squash Premier League, saying such a partnership could have a significant impact on grassroots development.
“As a co-founder of a Squash Premier League, I think if we can liaise and do one or two programmes together, it will be of enormous benefit to the development of squash in Nigeria,” he said.
The Abuja championship was the first edition held outside Lagos, after six consecutive editions.
The shift to Abuja has renewed calls for the tournament to reach more regions, with the North East, South East and Kano State reportedly being considered for future editions.
