Team Oluyole of Ibadan will confront Team Anambra of Onitsha and Team Police College of Ikeja for the last available spot for the 2017 season scheduled to kick off next month.
According to the draws held recently in Lagos by the International Tennis Academy, organisers of the championship, 14 teams including six new entrants registered for the 12-team League including six new teams, while Ekiti, Ibadan and Jos join the host cities for the 2017 season.
The organisers said 11 teams bagged automatic spots based on their collective team rankings of players, while the three-lowly rated teams have to go for the play-offs in Lagos for the last spot a week to the kick off of the main League.
Top 10 players were awarded three points, top 20 two points and the rest one point each to arrive at the team rankings.
The Blue Group consists of 2015 champions, Team NSCDC of Abuja; Team Kalotari of Port Harcourt; Team Muller of Lagos, Team Optiweb of Ilorin; Team VGC Lions of Lagos and the qualifier from the playoffs.
The White Group has defending champions, Team Offikwu of Kaduna; Team Ndoma-Egba; Team Goshen of Ilorin; Team CBN Futures of Lagos; Team Oyetade of Ekiti and Team Tech Vibe of Jos. The top two finishers in each group qualify for semi-finals and on to the finals.
Vice chairman of the Oyo State Tennis Association, Mr Babatunde Oyediran said Team Oluyole would have earned automatic slot, but for 'late' registration just as he expressed hope that his players won't let the opportunity slip off.
"We didn't register in time for the league if not, we would not have been part of the teams to engage in playoffs but all the same, there is no cause for alarm. Our players are determined and they are ready to do the needful to make our debut in the NCC League a reality," Oyediran said.
He stated that Team Oluyole boast tested players who can make things happen for the state.
"We have quality players who can deliver the goods like Wale Samson, Wasiu Ibrahim, Sunday Okechukwu and three others, while our female players are Colleen Orji and Bukola Popoola. We hope to make a good representation in the league as this serves as a great opportunity
for our players to play themselves into national reckoning," Oyediran said.
Meanwhile, aside the winner of the NCC Tennis League going home with N7million, the runner up with N5million and the third and fourth placed teams getting N3million and N2million as prize money, each of the 12 teams will also receive N500,000 as logistic support from the
organisers for participation.
It will be recalled, that Team Offikwu won the NCC Tennis League last year in their debut and went home with N7million as prize money.
Team Tombim got N5million for coming second, while Team Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) finished third with N3million as prize money as Team FCT received N2million for finishing fourth in the then 10-team league format.
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Caption: One of the female players of Team Oluyole, Collen Orji before a game. She is battle-ready for the NCC Tennis League playoffs.
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