The President of the Nigeria Tennis Federation (NTF), Ifedayo Akindoju, states that the federation is concentrating on nurturing a younger generation of players to achieve success for the country. Akindoju expresses the opinion that older players are often affected by age and may not perform well in competitions. He emphasizes that the federation's primary focus is on junior tournaments, aiming to develop and promote young talent.
“We are focusing on raising the younger generation of players, and that is going very well. The Federation is fortunate to have a sponsor supporting the establishment of a small academy, which has been opened at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja. Currently, we have four players in that academy, and it has been a successful initiative so far,” says Akindoju.
He highlights the achievements of players like Seun Ogunsakin, who is ranked as African number 1 in the 14 under category, and David Ekpenyong, who has become the best tennis player in Nigeria at the age of 19.
Akindoju confirms that two international competitions are scheduled to be hosted by the federation in February in Abuja. The NTF is introducing the "World Master Tour," catering to advanced players aged 35 to over 90. The timing is coordinated with the World Junior Tournament to create more awareness.
He also mentions other upcoming programs, including the Davies Cup, Billie Jean King Cup, African Games in Ghana, NTF Coaching Conference, NTF Officiating Schools, CBN Open, Davnoth Open, the Dallas event in November, and two to three new competitions. The diversified initiatives aim to foster tennis development and participation across different age groups and skill levels.
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