‘Nigeria May Never Participate In Olympics Tennis’

A renowned sports analyst, Ayo Ositelu, has said that the country may never participate in the Olympic Tennis event, unless a revolution of a sort was effected at the Nigeria Tennis Federation (NTF).

Ositelu made the remark during an interview with newsmen in Lagos.

He said that government had a pivotal part to play in the initiative through the provision of requisite facilities to groom budding talents in the game from the grassroots.

The analyst stressed that if an aspiring tennis player could not hit the ball at the early age of six, the player may never get to play at a top-grade competition like the Wimbledon.

“I am not being pessimistic or unpatriotic, but based on what is feasible, I don’t see our tennis players qualifying for the Olympics and the reason is not far-fetched, but due to lack of exposure from at an early age.

“Sincerely speaking, I don’t see Nigerian tennis players in the Olympics in my lifetime, maybe if we have a revolution of sorts, something good could come up.

“Arthur Ashe, the great African-American tennis player, knew what he was saying when he said that if you don’t hit your tennis ball at the age of six; you will never play at the Wimbledon.

“And the Olympics is more important than Grand Slams and I hate to be pessimistic, but I don’t see a Nigerian playing at the Olympics,” he said.

Ositelu urged the government to see the provision of tennis infrastructure across the length and breadth of the country as a worthy investment in grassroots tennis development.