Nigeria’s Mabubat Rasaki Selected for U-12 Intercontinental Tennis Event in Kazakhstan

Twelve-year-old Nigerian tennis player Mabubat Rasaki has secured a place in an eight-player African contingent for the ATF U-12 Intercontinental Tennis Championship taking place in Kazakhstan from October 10 to 18, 2026.

Rasaki, who is from Oyo State, was chosen after performances in competitions within Nigeria and abroad brought her to the attention of the Confederation of African Tennis. Her inclusion places her among the eight African players selected at U-12 level for the international event.

She travelled to Kazakhstan on Friday, October 9, ahead of the start of competition. At the championship, the selected African players will face young tennis talents representing other continents, giving Rasaki an opportunity to compete outside the domestic environment against opponents from different playing backgrounds.

The Kazakhstan appearance adds another stage to Rasaki’s development after the series of results that led to her continental recognition. The source describes the tournament as an opportunity for her to gain further international experience while assessing her game against players drawn from beyond Africa.

Her selection also comes as the Nigeria Tennis Federation continues efforts to expose younger players to competition at both domestic and international levels. Under chairman Victor Ochei, the federation has maintained a focus on identifying developing players and creating opportunities for them to gain competitive experience beyond Nigeria.

For Rasaki, the championship provides a chance to build on the progress that earned her selection by the continental tennis body. She will be competing as part of Africa’s U-12 representation rather than solely as a Nigerian entrant, widening the significance of her participation at the tournament.

The event begins a day after her departure and will run for more than a week in Kazakhstan. Rasaki’s participation gives the Oyo-born player another international platform at an early stage of her tennis career as she continues developing through competition and exposure against young players from different regions of the world.