28th September, 2010
Nigeriaâ€
This policy helped Nigeria as it became a leading playing nation in Africa and also produced many acclaimed players who won laurels at the international scenes. Murtala Habu wrote in the An Analysis Of Generations That Played The Game Of Tennis In Nigeria that “it was not surprising that barley a decade after independence, Nigeria was a member of the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and the Olympic movement and Nigerian players were regular faces in major tournaments in the world. Credit goes to early pioneers who invested their scare resource and time to further the growth of tennis in the country, great people like Ibrahim Usman Sangari, Lord Rumens and Alhaji Raheem Adejumo.â€
Some of the great tennis players the country had in the last 50 years included the late Lawrence Awogbeba, a former national coach, Thompson Onibokun, who is the chairman, technical committee of the Governorâ€
In the second generation are Nduka Odizor, an Olympian, Tony Momoh, former Nigeria Tennis Federation, NTF boss and CAT chieftain, Bulus Husseini, Saidu Agori, Sadiq Abdullahi, David Imonite, Henry Ubochi, National Coach, Luke Johnson, Kayinde Ajaye, Lai Ogunrunde, R. Oloyide, Romanus Nwazu, Solomon Onna, Smart Omokame, Godwin Keyinka, Steve Olagbegi, Rotimi Akinloye, Richard Akande, Friday Otabor, Remi Osho, Sule Samaila, Segun Balogun, Dauda Mamman, Chris Mamman, Hananiyas Akona, Bitrus Istifanus, Godwin Emeh, Clatus Osagie, Isa Gwange, Morakinyo Akande, Denen Akaa and Barka Maziga, who competed in most of the worldâ€
Among the top women players who did Nigeria proud in the last 50 years are Vero Oyibokiya, Ann Abinuku, Nosa Imafidon, Cecelia Nadozie, Ngozi Morah, Okereke, Aishatu Adamu and Kweju Akomolafe.
These great players have done a lot to give back to the society which made them. For example, Imonite, a former national champion, founded the Miracle Tennis Resources Centre; he and Godwin Kienka, Director of Tennis Academy, have organised series of junior tournaments and training programs in order to discover promising young players. One of the most successful ones was the first-ever Under 24 National Tennis Circuit. The circuit has four tournaments: T & M Open, Edel Build Open, the Nigerian Bottling Company Open, and the Lawrence Awopegba Open.
Abdullahi, who holds a doctorate degree in education, specialises in curriculum development, instructional delivery, international and global education, comes to Nigeria to hold clinic for the junior players.
Abdullahi is currently a teacher of American government and economics at a secondary school, and an adjunct professor at Florida International University in Miami, FL. He does sports and educational consulting. He was the Nigerian tennis champion and a member of the 1988 Nigerian Olympic team.
There are other players who made names in Nigerian tennis in the last 50 years of thecountryâ€