Kunle Adewale
Junior squash player, Khadijat Durosinlorun, says a lack of confidence contributed to her quarterfinal exit at the ongoing Prime Atlantic Squash Tournament at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, Lagos.
In spite of her disappointed going by the result, she remained optimistic about her development in the sport.
“I am yet to build my confidence to the level I want, but I believe that with consistency, I will get there.
“My dad is my coach and I know that once I become more confident on the court, I will perform much better.
“Squash is a very interesting game and I intend to match the achievements of my sisters in the sport,” she said.
The youngster made the remarks after suffering a 3-0 defeat to Lagos State’s Zainab Ishola in the U-19 quarterfinals of the fourth edition of the championship.
In spite of the loss, Durosinlorun’s performance reflected the growing competitiveness among emerging players at the tournament, which has witnessed several impressive displays from junior athletes.
Ishola, who progressed to the semifinals, credited her victory to hard work, improved training and increasing confidence.
“I have worked hard on my game and I am happy with the improvement. Every match has helped me gain confidence and become more focused.
“The semifinals will be difficult because the remaining players are very strong, but I am ready to give my best and fight for a place in the final,” she said.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Media and Publicity Committee of the Nigeria Squash Federation (NSF), Yusuf Durosinlorun, said the emergence of new talents and a series of upsets at the championship underscored the bright future of squash in Nigeria.
According to him, “we have seen a lot of new players this year and the number of entries is far higher than what we recorded in the previous edition. The growth is encouraging.
“The improvement among the players is obvious. When you watch the matches, you can see the quality. It shows that Nigerian squash has a promising future,” he said.
Durosinlorun noted that several junior players had demonstrated their readiness to challenge established stars, resulting in a number of surprise outcomes.
“We recorded a number of upsets and that tells you the younger players are hungry and determined.
“They are challenging established players and making every match highly competitive,” he said.