In a dramatic match watched by the Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Solomon Dalung and the Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, Otu dashed the hopes of the Kaduna-based Team Offikwu who trailed 0-3 from the previous day and appeared to be plotting a comeback.
Their cause was further deflated by a knee injury suffered by Paul who was dominating the match and led 6-2, 4-2 before the unfortunate incident and Otu took full advantage to win 2-6, 6-4, 10-8.
Team Tech Vibes had all but wrapped up the tie on the opening Saturday when national champion Joseph Imeh beat Paul 6-3, 6-1 and Otu took advantage of a bereaved Sylvester Emmanuel, the national No. 2, to win in straight sets. Aanu Aiyegbusi extended her four-year unbeaten run in the league by upsetting, in every sense of the word, Christie Agugbom 6-4, 7-5.
The champions got a handsome jackpot of N7,000,000 while Team Offikwu got the runner-up prize of N5,000,000. Team Leadway Assurance finished third and bagged N3,000,000 while fourth-place finishers, Team Goshen of Ilorin went home with N2,000,000.
In his speech at the close of the event, the elated Minister of Sports called on the National Assembly to pass a bill requiring all corporations to pay 10% of their profit to a Sports Development Fund that would be used to produce world-class sportsmen and women from Nigeria.
"Sports is the No.1 employer of labour in the world and if any country needs sports to engage and empower the youth that country is Nigeria." Dalung said
Adding, "I greatly commend the NCC for such a major contribution to the development of sports and hope that other corporate bodies will follow suit."
Prof. Danbatta who was the guest of honour said in his remarks that the NCC was very happy that the project has achieved all the objectives for which it was set-up.
He said, "We have taken top-level tennis to more than 12 cities; we have raised the standard of the game and the profile of the players; junior players are taking advantage of the league and not only competing but beating seeded players.
"The competition can only get better and produce players that will participate in Grand slams and get very high ranking on the ATP tour."
The NCC Tennis League featured 12 teams which played round-robin ties in two groups with the top two emerging for semifinals and on to the finals.