Marylove Edwards confirmed her top seed rating at the ongoing 2018 CAT/ITF West and Central African Junior Championship Qualifiers holding in Togo, West Africa by winning the Under 14 and under category.

It was the first time the tennis star who is backed by Temple Management Company (TMC) will be participating in a national call-up since her full enrolment last year as student of Florida-based IMG Academy. The prodigious 12-year-old gave a good account of herself in grand style.

Marylove, an EleVen by Venus brand ambassador, played all her matches in active wears of the brand which is owned by renowned American-born tennis champion, Venus Williams. The Nigerian tennis won 6-2, 6-0 against Kumba (Mali) to become the new champion.

In the semi-final, she beat Stephanie (Cameroon) 6-3, 6-0 just after defeating Rodia Noudogbessi of Benin with a comprehensive 6-0, 6-0 victory in the quarter final. She had previously beat Etana (Cameroon) 6-3, 6-1.  Marylove is on top of her game and her growth was recognized by the organising international body that ranked her as a top seed for the first time.

Speaking from Togo, the starlet said, “I am excited and happy to be the champion of the West and Central African Junior Championship. I also want to say thank you to EleVen by Venus for giving me the nice outfit I wore in the finals. I also want to say thank you to Temple Management for making it possible for my Daddy and I to come to Togo.”

Underscoring the influence of her new IMG background, Koye Sowemimo, Head Of Sports, TMC noted that Marylove’s game has improved greatly and expressed the satisfaction of the creative talent agency with her trajectory.

He also made a case for world-class training for Nigerian athletes. According to Sowemimo, “If we provide the best for our talents in the sense of facilities, coaching and funding, they will shine and Marylove is a prime example of this.”