Sports
Veteran Tennis Player Set To Organise Competition
Nigeria’s most suc
cessful tennis player, Nduka Odizor, says he plans to take tennis to greater heights by establishing sports’ facilities across the six geo-political zones.
Odizor, who reached his highest rating of the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) singles by becoming the world’s number 53 in June 1984, spoke to newsmen yesterday in Lagos.
He noted that the rationale behind his intention was to increase the awareness of sports’ development.
“I know that this is going to take some time to actualise because it is a white elephant project but it is something we need if we must revive sports again.
“Patience will be one major key to this because I found out that Nigerians want everything fast and nature does not happen like that.
“This is so because anything that is worth having; is worth doing well by taking your time in doing it right the first time, not the second time.
“Often times, you may not have the second opportunity to have a first impression,” Odizor , a.k.a ”the Duke’’ said.
He told Tidesports that his tennis academy in Abuja had been established with 21 players from ages 6 to 12 years admitted.
“I have started one of my projects, which is the tennis academy I had planned out since my return from the United States.
“I choose to take only the young players because catching them young is best for tennis players and also athletes in other sports.
“The project is currently being test-run with 10 kids under Babatunde Abe, a U.S trained coach in Abuja.
“The kids are given a meal daily and two meals on Saturdays and Sundays. In addition, the kids get weekly allowances,’’ he said.
He added that the school was not just about tennis but a school with normal primary and secondary school curricular.
“They are taught five international languages namely English, French, Chinese, Spanish and Swahili.
“This is done because the truth is that 90 per cent of the kids will never succeed in tennis, but if they are educated and also play tennis, they will have acquired skills that will help them,” he said.
According to him, there have been complaints that government is not living up to its billing, but we keep getting it wrong because government is about people.
“But, if I keep complaining then I’m part of the problem. We have to start something in order to convince others to join us,” he said.
A well-known football pundit in the State, Chief Christopher Okonkwo has lauded the efforts and vision of the Super Eagles Coach Eric Chelle for going from one venue of the Nigeria Domestic Nigeria Professional Football League match to the other in monitoring Nigerian players, with a view to invite some exceptional good one discovered into the main stream of the Super Eagles team.
Okonkwo, who made the commendation in an interview at the Port Harcourt Club recently, described the positive move by Coach Chelle as a good step in the right direction, noting that the practice was how its been done in the past among any contracted coach assigned to tinker the Super Eagles team.
“Truly, it has been an old tradition in the country seeing any newly engaged Coach to lead the National team, visiting some our Nigeria League venues during the league matches to spot light some good talents that could be used to beef up some grey areas in the department of Eagles team”
He, however, frowned at the current situation where our coaches had continously been over depending on the use of foreign based players during invitation of players to the National camp, thereby, relegating the domestic home based league players to the background as if they have nothing much to offer to the team.
“I can vividly recall that the likes of great players in the mode of Finidi George, Taribo West, Kanu Nwankwo, Austin Okocha, Richard Owobokiri, Emmanuel Osuigwe among others started from Nigeria football league before they graduated to play in Europe through which they later invited to Super Eagles camp to represent Nigeria”
“Besides, I’m also of the view that going to secondary school football competitive games could equally serves as a a good platform to discover budding talents that could be nurtured to become great stars in near future”, Okonkwo frankly added.
Okonkwo, therefore, prayed that any football coach to be engaged by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to tinker the Super Eagles should be told not to confine himself in staying in big hotel alone but to be visiting some of our local league match venues, with a view to discover some good players that can be drafted into the Super Eagles team.
“Indeed, I stand to be challenged that there some young good players in the Nigeria Professional League. If spotted and exposed, could give the some of the invited foreign based players a stiff competitive fight in securing a postion in the team”, Okonkwo emphatically stated.
Ezechukwu, one of the youngest members of the Nigerian contingent at the championship in Ghana, said her ambition was to win the 100m title in style and cap it with a new personal record.
The fresh secondary school graduate explained that she is fully focused on contributing to Team Nigeria’s medal hopes and is determined to deliver strong performances across her events.
“My main objective in Ghana is to clinch the 100m title and the 4×100m,” Ezechukwu told Tidesports source.
“Nigeria can be assured of my very best and my commitment to the Team. I would love to set a new personal best in Ghana, but anything that comes, I will take it. The spirit in the team is high, and I think we are ready to go,” she said.
Ezechukwu, who was part of Nigeria’s women’s 4x100m relay squad at the World Relays in Botswana, said the experience gained from that competition has strengthened her mindset heading into the continental championships.
She admitted that she learned valuable lessons from her previous outing, including a difficult moment during the relay where an early error affected the team’s rhythm, but said she has used the experience to improve her discipline and composure.
“The secret is just being disciplined, training hard and trusting my coach and believing in God, and the result will show,” she added.
The teenager is part of a 41-member Nigerian team comprising 24 female and 17 male athletes competing at the championships, which begin today at the University of Ghana, Legon.
Nigeria are expected to compete across multiple track and field events as they aim for a strong finish against the continent’s elite athletes.
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