Nigeria’s National Tennis Coach and Technical Director, Nigeria Tennis Federation (NTF), Rotimi Akinloye, has identified lack of sponsorship for tennis programmes as a major challenge facing the sport in the country.
Akinloye stated this while speaking with newsmen during the just concluded 2-day workshop tagged, “Modern Day Tennis Coaching,” organized by the Ogun State Tennis Association in conjunction with Southlake Tennis Centre, Texas USA.
The workshop which attracts several tennis coaches across the state was held at the Abeokuta Sports Club, in Abeokuta, the Ogun state capital.
“We hope the coaches will apply the new knowledge but i believe it will have positive impact in their tennis lives.
“I use this medium to appeal to Nigerian governments and critical stakeholders particularly corporate bodies, multinationals to sponsor tennis because we have an array of talents in the country.
“Tennis is a capital intensive sports which needs a lot of funds to actualize trainings, programmes, tournaments, travels, and if sponsors are available, it would help sustain programmes at least for 10 years and there would bring appreciable impacts in terms of rankings, production of players, as well as growth and development of tennis in the country”, Akinloye said.
The facilitator and Director of Southlake Tennis Centre, Wole Festus Akinyeju, maintained that the impact of the workshop is going to be positive, at least with time.
“I decided to return home to give back to the community that made me and contribute to the growth of tennis in Nigeria.
“What you tell players will make or mar them, so coaches must be up to date with new methodologies, both technically and tactically as well as be ready to exchange ideas to be able to transfer right knowledge to the players.
“Again, in tennis, programmes and sponsorship drive growth. Without it, there is nothing anyone can achieve in tennis. it is very important to have a series of programmes that would attract corporate sponsors, through which players can be developed,” Akinyeju added.
Meanwhile, coach Kehinde Ijaola, the Ogun State Tennis Coach and a former tennis coach in the state, Kehinde Martins-Ake lauded the initiative just as the state prepares to host National Sports Festival.
According to them, the workshop has achieved impartation of techniques and match place situations, which are crucial to developing players across all levels for local, state, national, and international engagements.
Highpoints of the workshop were presentation of awards to deserving individuals who have contributed to the development of tennis in the state and certificates to all the coaches who participated.
