Anambra Country Club Unveils Governor’s Cup Tennis Tournament

Anambra Country Club, Awka, has concluded arrangements for its maiden annual tennis tournament, with 13 clubs expected to compete for honours from 27 October.

The club’s president, Ozo Damian Ejiamatu Enekwechi, disclosed this while briefing journalists on preparations for the competition at the club’s premises in Awka on Saturday.

Tagged the Governor’s Cup, the tournament will feature clubs from different parts of Anambra State and is expected to become an annual event in honour of the state’s sitting governor.

Enekwechi said the competition was designed to promote tennis, strengthen relationships among clubs and provide an opportunity for members to interact through sport.

The participating clubs are Anambra Country Club, Awka; Nri Sports Club; Onitsha Recreation Club; Onitsha Sports Club; Onitsha Country Club; Estate Club, Onitsha; Peoples Club; Elite Club; Nnewi Sports Club; Beverley Hill Recreation Club; Rojenny Club, Oba; Oko Sports Club; and Awka City Club.

He disclosed that about ₦20 million had been spent by the tournament sponsors, Audi Company Limited, and its partners to prepare the facilities and put other necessary arrangements in place ahead of the competition.

According to him, the club intends to sustain the tournament as an annual fixture, with the name reflecting the governor serving in office in the year of each edition.

Enekwechi also used the occasion to clarify the club’s position on political affiliation, insisting that it was not aligned with any political party or controlled by the Anambra State Government.

He said membership was open to eligible individuals regardless of their political affiliations, adding that the club provided a platform for social interaction rather than political activities.

“Any person who meets the membership criteria of the club, irrespective of his or her political party affiliation, is free to be a member of this club,” he said.

He cited Senator Uche Ekwunife, an All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in Anambra Central Senatorial District for the 2027 general elections, and Hon. Okwudili Ezenwankwo, also known as Ewepuo Dike, as examples of members with different political affiliations.

Ezenwankwo is the National Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate for the Orumba North/Orumba South Federal Constituency, according to Enekwechi.

The club president stressed that members were expected to interact as individuals rather than bring the status or titles attached to their public offices into the club.

“What we do in this club is to socialise, unwind and flex. Nobody carries the title of his or her office to this club; everyone is called simply by his name or nickname,” he added.

The maiden tournament is expected to bring together players and members of the participating clubs, with the organisers seeking to establish the Governor’s Cup as a regular feature of the state’s sporting calendar.