Sports
Tennis Maestro Targets Imonite’s CBN Open Record
Nigeria’s tennis maestro, Abdulmumini Babalola has assessed his 2018 season and expressed his desire to equal David Imonitie’s record at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Open this year.
Babalola has always been a force to reckon with in Nigerian tennis. With a devastating left-hand and superb movement on court, the Ibadan-native has enjoyed great success on the national scene for about two decades, while also being a regular player for the country in the Davis Cup.
Last year, however, the veteran failed to clinch a national title, falling just short in the CBN Open final to Sylvester Emmanuel. The rest of his season would be characterised by two semifinal finishes on either side of a quarterfinal run at the Rainoil Open. But the 34-year-old isn’t bothered; labelling the season he had as fantastic.
“Fantastic,” Babalola said, when asked to rate his 2018 sesosn. “Because as you can see I’m old in the game. I’m not expecting much compared to when I was young in the game. 2018 was quite good and okay for me.”
Babalola’s last title triumph was in 2017 at the CBN Open in Lagos, where he defeated Joseph Imeh in straight sets. He is however, now seeking to end his title drought.
“If anybody can believe in himself, his dream could come true and whenever I step on the court, I play to enjoy myself,” he said. “But I’m also playing to win, so this year I’m working towards winning one title”, he said.
The 34-year-old, in 2017, lifted a staggering sixth CBN Open title (2002, 2006, 2009, 2012, 2014, 2017). And last year, he came close to claiming a record-equalling 7th title at the event, a record held by David Imonitie, but was beaten by Sylvester Emmanuel in the final.
For Babalola, who won his first CBN Open title in 2002 at the age of 17, securing a seventh title is one wish for the 2019 season, as he is looking to equal Imonitie and subsequently, surpass the Nigerian great.
I want to win CBN,” Babalola said. “So on record, it will be the same number of titles as David Imonite. The goal is to tie up with him and eventually surpass him.”
Imonitie was a houehold name in Nigerian tennis through the 1980s. Imonitie, who’s currently aged 64, wrought wonders at the CBN Open, playing in eight consecutive finals, winning six of those, before his seventh and final triumph in 1991.
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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