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Tag: Nigeria Tennis Federation

  • NTF confirms Bulus, five  others for David Cup

    NTF confirms Bulus, five  others for David Cup

    The Nigeria Tennis Federation has named United States based Christopher Bulus, Uche Oparaoji and three others in a five man squad that will fly the country’s flag in the 2024 Davis Cup Africa Group III qualifying next month in Abuja.

    Others on the list are Nigeria’s number one player David Ekpeyong, Micheal Emmanuel and Nigeria’s highest ranked junior player Daniel Adeleye complete the list.

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    Coach Benson Ishicheli who masterminded Nigeria’s qualification from Group IV in Rwanda will lead the team to ensure Nigeria moves into World Group II.

    The Africa Group III Qualifying serves off on 15  to 20 July  2024, inside the tennis section of the National Stadium in Abuja.

  • NTF reveals plans for junior, wheelchair tennis

    The President of the Nigeria Tennis Federation, Engineer Dayo Akindoju says the federation is bent on making sure the International Tennis Federation approves its proposal of having a substantial number of weeks for ITF Junior Tennis tournaments.

    While revealing the federation’s plan for Junior Tennis and wheelchair tennis in the 2019 season, Akindoju also said there were talks about the introduction of Beach Tennis in Nigeria and the country’s level of preparedness towards the forthcoming 1st African Beach Games.

    “We are fighting with [the] ITF now, because out of the 9 weeks [of juniors tournaments] we applied for, so far only one week in July has been approved,” the President said. “And we’re telling them no, that it is not acceptable. We’ve written them back and we are following that up.

    “Our key concentration is on junior tournaments, junior programs, reintroducing the games to schools. We shall be distributing equipment a lot to schools [primary schools]. We are procuring a thousand rackets and we are going to be distributing them to tennis centres all over Nigeria. By tennis centres, I mean places where tennis is played or where facilities are basically available [the ones that are existing and the ones that will come up].

    “In the wheelchair department, we are also going to make some major developments.

    “We are going to be buying 10 additional wheelchairs, we are going to be running a lot of wheelchair clinics in Kano and Minna, which are both settled for now. We are going to the East in Owerri to do some clinics later this year on wheelchair,” Akindoju was quoted by the federation’s website.

    In 2013, the CBN Open added the wheelchair singles as a category to its yearly events. In November last year, the Nigerian team excelled at the Puma ITF Wheelchair Tennis Futures in Abuja, with Alex Adewale and Kafayat Omisore clinching the men’s and women’s title. Adewale and double Paralympian Wasiu Yusuf also claimed the doubles title.

  • Tennis academy, key to building great stars in Nigeria – NTF

    Ifedayo Akindoju, President of Nigeria Tennis Federation ( NTF ), on Tuesday identified Tennis academy as key to building great stars in Nigeria capable of competing globally.

    The NTF’s president made this known in an interview with the News men in Abuja.

    Akindoju also said that centres for regular mental and physical training of players were imperative for excellence in tennis.

    “There should be academies for tennis tutelage and mentorship, where passion and interest should be regularised.

    “Our problem in Nigeria is that passions fizzle out due to lack of platforms to promote and sustain them,” he said.

    The Tennis federation chief, who called for sponsorship, said such would also serve as roadmap toward building great stars.

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    He said that it required only the willingness of just 10,000 Nigerians to support with N5, 000 each to make the idea a reality.

    According to him, the federation can achieve greater results, at least in the area of periodic, competitions with Nigeria’s support.

    Akindoju urged Nigerians to take the responsibility of joining hands in rebuilding tennis.

    “Someone can take the responsibility of procuring rackets while some can help in building academies.”

    He restated the readiness of the federation to take Nigerian tennis higher with collective support of Nigerians.

    NAN

  • ITF fixes Sept 21 deadline for Governor’s Tennis Cup

    ITF fixes Sept 21 deadline for Governor’s Tennis Cup

    The International Tennis Federation, ITF, has fixed Thursday, 21 September as the deadline for players willing to participate in the pro circuit competition.

    This is in readiness for the 17th Governor’s Cup Lagos Tennis Championship scheduled for 6th-21st October, 2017 this year.

    This was contained in a notice published on the website of the ITF with other instructions on how the players could register for the two weeks event in Lagos, after payment of a $40 entry fee.

    The ITF also directed that Tuesday, 26 September will be the deadline for withdrawal of any player who is not willing to play in the competition after registration. The ITF said that the qualifying matches for the first leg (Fixtures 4) of the tournament will be played from 7th-8th October, while the Main Draws will be held from 9th-14th October at the Lagos Lawn Tennis Club, Onikan.

    For the second leg (Fixtures 5), a deadline of Thursday, 28 September has been fixed for registration, while the 3rd October date has also been fixed for withdrawal.  The second leg will end with the final matches and presentation of trophies on 21st October.

    However, Tournament Director, Prince Wale Oladunjoye has hinted that the $100,000 prize money championship is going to be bigger this year with lots of attractive packaging that will make the tournament more glamorous. He said the Local Organising Committee (LOC)  headed by Chief Pius Akinyelure in conjunction with the Nigeria Tennis Federation (NTF) will leave nothing to chance to ensure that the 17th Governor’s Cup Lagos Tennis lives up to its bidding.

    This year’s competition will likely attract more players across the world than the previous editions, going by the interest shown by the emerging world tennis players to visit Lagos. They are not only coming to win the dollar prize money; but they will play in the competition and pick points to enhance their rating in the world.

    The Governor’s Cup Lagos Tennis Championship has been a tournament staged every year to celebrate the sitting Executive Governor of Lagos State, one of the largest mega cities of the world.

    There has been no year without the Governor’s Cup being staged since the administration of Honourable Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.  The incumbent Governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode, since he assumed office, showed exceptional interest in seeing that the annual competition meets up its dates on the ITF calendar.

    “This year is not an exception,” said Prince Oladunjoye, who commended the Governor for the support and other friends of the Governor who have over the years showed their unflinching support for the Governor’s Cup Lagos Tennis.

    “This competition started with Asiwaju Tinubu, whom we all know as a great leader. Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola succeeded in improving on this tournament and we are so happy that Governor Ambode, with his love for sports, has ensured that the Governor’s Cup Lagos Tennis becomes a bigger tournament that will attract more players to the city of Lagos,” Oladunjoye said.

     

  • How late Chris Enahoro nurtured tennis players in Nigeria

    Chris

    The late  Chris Enahoro, who died in Lagos on January 19 at 80, has been described as a key apostle of Nigeria tennis development. The Nigeria Tennis  federation said his spirit will indeed  be kept alive with more focus on grassroots development.

    He is credited to have nurtured some of Nigeria’s tennis players among whom is Oyinlomo Barakat Quadri, who spearheaded Nigeria’s winning of the West and Central Africa Championships held recently in Togo.

    The NTF stated: “The best way we can keep his spirit awake is to make sure his death leaves no vacuum because this is one man that has been at the forefront of uplifting Nigerian tennis for more than two decades.”

    A former Nigeria cricket captain, Enahoro was a former West Africa record holder in high jump and he also played football for the defunct Western Region of Nigeria.

    Meanwhile, the NTF  has expressed its condolence to Sports Minister, Barr. Solomon Dalung over the death of his wife, Mrs Briskila Dalung.

    Mrs. Dalung reportedly died on Sunday morning after a brief illness.

    “This is to express our heart-felt condolence with the Sports Minister, Barrister Solomon Dalung following the passing away of his wife. We share in your grief knowing how painful it is to lose a pillar in one’s life as in the case of your beloved wife who must have help in molding a man of substance like Barr. Dalung,” NTF boss Sani Ndanusa said.

    He added, “We pray that you bear the fortitude of this irreparable loss while we also pray for the repose of the soul of the deceased.”

  • Chris Enahoro was a complete sportsman – Chuka Momah

    Chris Enahoro was a complete sportsman – Chuka Momah

    Former President, Nigeria Tennis Federation (NTF), Chuka Momah has described the late all-round sports legend, Chris Enahoro as a complete sportsman, whose passion for sports could not be doubted.

    The late front-line tennis promoter passed on Thursday January 19 at his Lagos residence after a brief illness and the erstwhile NTF boss said: “The late Chris Enahoro was a fine gentleman with a large heart and a benevolent spirit. We attended the same school – the great Government College, Ibadan (GCI) but I never met him in school. I read about his exploits as an all-round great sportsman, which he carried over to represent different entities in sports.”

    “He was one of the greatest cricketers in the history of the country. Apart from being the captain of the national team and Chairman, Nigeria Cricket Federation (NCF), he played good football, tennis and took part in athletics. It was the cricket aspect that overshadowed other sports in his sporting career.

    “He played cricket alongside great players like Jide Gbadamosi who also captained the national team. He played for Dyaks Cricket Club while I played for Lagos Amateur Cricket Club (LACC). He got into tennis with the Chevron project and his deep knowledge of the sport could not be underestimated.

    “He had a good working relationship with the NTF. I was happy that I mentioned his contribution to sports in my book – Sports Spectacular,” he added.

    Enahoro was a former schoolboy athlete, who in the 1950s and early 60s held the West African high jump record and he also played football for the defunct Western Region and was also captain of Nigerian cricket national team.

  • NTF shops for sponsors

    NTF shops for sponsors

    To ensure that Nigeria takes part in the forthcoming African Tennis Nations Cup Championship holding in Congo Brazzaville, the Nigeria Tennis Federation (NTF) has commenced search for sponsors to prosecute the tournament next month.

    According to the  NTF President, Sani Ndanusa, efforts are on to secure sponsors for the national team.

    “We are still searching for sponsors because funds have been major challenges for us in recent time. But we are hopeful that we will be part of the tournament,” he said.

    Just like what befell the team during the build-up to the Davis Cup championship when the team could not assemble a full team for the competition held in Cairo, Egypt.

    It would be recalled that the Secretary General of NTF, Gloria Ekwempu-Chinwuko, said the federation has written to the National Sports Commission (NSC) to fund the trip and they are still awaiting their response in order to commence preparation.

    “We cannot confirm whether we are taking part in part in the competition as we are still waiting on NSC to fund the trip and we are hopeful that they will support the team in its quest to be part of the tournament,” she said.

    Nigeria finished fifth at the last edition held in Dakar, Senegal.

    The tournament is organized biennially by the Confederation of African Tennis (CAT) is an individual and team events competition for men and women with prize money of $22,500. Tennis Club de Brazzaville nine clay courts will host the championship that has most times being dominated by the North Africans.