9th June, 2010
President of the Nigeria Tennis Federation Engr. Sani Ndanusa on Sunday commissioned the Roof Tennis Court of the Best Western Island Hotel, Lagos. The facility is the first of its kind in Africa. Situated on the sixth floor of the imposing four-star hotel, which sits magnificiently opposite the Bar Beach.
The facility, according to Ndanusa, will complement sports as a tool for tourism.
Ndanusa, who led the NTF delegation to the event, lauded the initiative. Just beside the court is also a suspended swimming pool which is also about to be commissioned.
“The federation is pleased to have this type of facilities in the country because at present, only few places like Dubai, New York and Melbourne can boast of this kind of facility. I am particularly happy that tennis, among the sports that can be considered for this kind of initiative, is privileged to have this kind of facility in a naturally friendly atmosphere like the Bar Beach. This, to me, is what I will call a meeting point between sports and tourism,” the former minister of sports declared.
The commissioning featured two exhibition games involving Sunday Emmanuel and Henry Atseye, both of whom had a day earlier battled for the CBN Open in which the former triumphed, while Ndanusa also took to the court against Fatima Abinu NTF’s top ranked female player.
Captivated by the facility, Holland-based Emmanuel urged the NTF to initiate a programme that will feature some top ranked tennis stars.
“This is my first time of playing in this kind of facility and I must say I really relish the experience,†said Emmanuel, who admitted that he has only seen roof tennis on TV despite his vast exposure.
—Taiwo Adelu