Sports
Foundation Identifies Key To Rapid Sports Dev
The coordinator of Kodian Tennis Foundation ( KTF), Stella Epegu has identified catching sports men and women young as the key to rapid development of sports in any country.
She called on parents and guardians to encourage their children to play Tennis which is currently the fastest growing sport in Nigeria, saying that very soon Tennis will be popular as football.
Epegu, made this known, during the closing ceremony of the just concluded Rivers State Sports Development Initiative (RSSDI) Sports competition for U-17, on Saturday, in an exclusive interview with Tidesports , at the Alfred Diete Spiff Sports complex, Moscow road, Port Harcourt.
According to her, KTF was found in 2007 and registered as Non Governmental Organization (NGO) in 2012, adding that one of primary objectives of the organization is to develop and promote Tennis, most especially in Nigeria.
“We catch them from the age of five and give them free training, groom them to become super stars.
I am doing this because I love Tennis, I have passion for it , besides that, I was a Tennis player at my young age that took me to national ranking of number five. I also represented Rivers State in so many tournaments.
Apart that I have the desire to transfer what I know and do well to other children” Epegu said.
Stella Epegu who is also the founder of the Foundation noted that the average Nigerian child is very fast in learning, that once you teach them they catch up fast.
“ I find out that what the children child want is to teach them they have the ability to catch up very fast,” she stated.
The Coordinator further revealed that currently four of their players are schooling in University of Port Harcourt. She said two of their players, David Dawariye and Rebecca Ekpenyong are in national camp.
She equally made known that KTF have about 50 players at different age grades, saying that the funding is coming from friends that love Tennis and appeal to multi nationals and well meaning individuals to assist the organisation to achieve its objectives.
Tonye Orabere