The much-anticipated 2018 Lagos International Squash Classics serves off on Monday at the Molade Okoya-Thomas Hall, Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, Lagos State with the qualifying rounds.
Fourteen countries, including host Nigeria, are expected to compete for the $20,000 prize money in the PSA-sanctioned tournament sponsored by the Lagos State Government, organised by the Lagos State Squash Association and supported by the Nigeria Squash Federation.
The tournament is listed by the Professional Squash Association.
Eight players have been seeded in the men’s event, while four women, including Nigeria’s Yemisi Olatunji, made the seeding list.
The qualifying round will herald the commencement of the Championship with players jostling for the four slots available in the main draw of the men and women events.
Babatunde Ajagbe is the only Nigerian starting his campaign from the main draw in the men’s event, while Olatunji will lead eight other Nigerian players to start their campaign from the main draw of the women’s event.
Egyptian players dominated the eight-man men’s seeding list with Karim Ali Fathi topping the list while Czech Republic’s Eva Fertekova tops the four-man women’s seeding list.
Four qualifiers are expected to break into the main draw from the qualifying round in the men’s category while four will also make it to the women’s division.
Most of the top players arrived in Lagos over the weekend in readiness for the main draw scheduled to begin on March 21.