The Golgotha Tennis Club in Yaounde, Cameroon, between the 3rd and 5th of March 2026 was the centre of an action-packed World Tennis tournament. It was a huge event which goes down in the annals of history. For more the 30 years, Atanga Nji Paul, known as one of the most resistant amateur tennis players in Cameroon made history again.
In his professional live as CEO of a financial institution for more than 20 years before being appointed by President Paul BIYA as Cabinet Minister in charge of Special Duties in the Presidency of the Republic, and later as Interior Minister, Minister of Territorial Administration, Atanga Nji Paul has kept the faith, as a great sponsor of tennis, a proof that his passion for the discipline is insatiable.
Since 1986, he has been organising yearly tournaments to encourage young tennis players and has sponsored many who have become coaches. On Tuesday, March 3, 2026, Atanga Nji Paul played three consecutive matches with two former ITF top ranking players, and a third match with the current number two ranked player in Cameroon’s national league.
All encounters, the best of five sets were played following ITF regulations except for the fact that in an attempt to create a world record, Atanga Nji Paul played through out in one side where the official watch of the event was placed. And that was in front of a camera so that all match statistics should be clear and undisputable.
In the first encounter, Atanga Paul played against Cedric Pioline (57 years), former 5th ranked ITF in men’s singles. Cedric won in three sets after a stiff battle of 1 hour 15 minutes, 6-1; 6-2; 6-4. Atanga continued the second match after less than 90 seconds against one of Morocco’s greatest ever, Younes El Anyaoui (best ranking 14th ATP) who won in 3 sets 6-3; 6-2; 6-2 but could barely stand on his feet after one hour twenty minutes. Then came the current number two player in Cameroon’s senior league, Aba’a Felix who also won in 3 sets 6-2; 6-2; 6-3 in one hour 30 minutes.
During the 3 encounters, each of the players had a break of 30 to 90 seconds to have refreshment, water or juice and could relax for few seconds sitting down in compliance with ITF regulations. On the contrary the major challenger, Atanga Nji Paul who baptised the event as ‘‘the resistance tournament’’ did not sit down and did not drink water nor juice during the 4 hours 10 minutes of the 3 encounters with professional, well trained and skilful players. Pascal Maria, a well know professional tennis referee who has handled 14 grand slams including finals like (Nadal-Federer Roland Garos; Djokovic-Nadal; Federer-Söderling) handled the first two encounters opposing Atanga-Cedric Pioline and Atanga-Younès El Aynaoui. In an interview after the games, he said that he has never in life seen this kind of performance and resistance in tennis for a non-professional player aged 65 who physically out-powered former professionals.
After handling two encounters, Pascal Maria gave the seat to the Egyptian born female referee, Mrs Hala Badreldin Youssef Abdelaal who was in charge of the last encounter between Atanga Paul and Aba’a Felix (39 years).
The most surprising event is that 24 hours later, on the 5th March 2026, Atanga Nji Paul played 3 other consecutive matches against 2 former professional players, Doumbia Yahiya (ATP ranking) best of 2 sets and Hicham Arazi former (number 11 ATP) the best of 3 sets.
Atanga Nji ended with Cameroon’s number 2 player on a court filled with water (Aquatennis) (best of 2 sets) spending a total of 3 hours 20 minutes standing up and drinking no water, no juice. This incredible performance confirms that the initial displays on the 3rd which lasted for 4 hours 10 minutes (standing up, no water, no juice) was not a mistake or by chance but a real show of resistance aimed at creating unbeatable world record not only in tennis but in sports at large.
Yannick Noah the only French citizen who won Roland Garos in 1983 and who witnessed all the encounters on the 3rd and 5th of March said in an interview that never in the history of tennis, a player could exhibit that kind of exceptional resistance they saw in Mr. Atanga Nji Paul who played 3 consecutive matches, the best of five sets on the first attempt and 24 hours later 2 consecutives encounters closing up with aqua tennis (water tennis).
History has been written in Cameroon which has to be taken into consideration. Even former football stars like Roger Milla and Joseph Antoine Bell who were special guest at the event said they have never seen that kind of resistance not only in tennis but in sports in general.
After having played for more than 4 hours 10 minutes standing up, no break, no water, no juice, Atanga Paul staged a great show at the end with 100 shots with his two legs on the frame of the tennis net, indicating that he still had energy to continue whereas all his opponents who won could barely stand up on a hot day with temperature of 30° Celsius.
This record should go beyond the boundaries of Cameroon and Africa. It is indeed a world record. A team of professional cameramen with 5 or 6 cameras covered this exceptional sporting even to testify whenever and wherever need be for the Guinness World Records.
Culled from Hot News
