The maiden edition of the Lagos State Tennis Coaching Clinic is aimed at repositioning the sport., says John Odiong, the Head Coach of the Lagos State Tennis Association.

Odiong said that the association recognised the urgent need to reposition the sport through an aggressive grassroots development approach.

“The grassroots is the only viable medium through which any sports could be revitalised, and great talents like Nadal or Venus were not developed overnight but through a painstaking process.

“At this clinic, we hope to take tennis to the next level, whereby we put our stakes high to develop kids who are willing to learn the sport.’’

He noted that the association, in collaboration with the state government, planned to set up an academy where talents could be groomed to stardom.

“The authorities in Lagos are very particular about sports, most especially tennis, because it seems to be dying.

“And so the LSTA and government saw the need to revive the sport and hopes to take it to the next level.

“ The two bodies finally came to a conclusion that a standard tennis academy would be raised and sponsored by the Lagos State government.

“We don’t have any tennis academy aside from the one in Kaduna and the more reason why we need more academies that will produce talents for the country,’’ he said.

The coach said that older players were not left out in the plan, but stressed that emerging talents were expected to bring back the glory days of the sport.