19th October, 2010
Former Nigerian international, Thompson Onibokun, does not expect much from the local players featuring in the 10th Governorâ€
The Main Draws of the first leg of Etisalat/FCMB tennis tournament served off yesterday at the Lagos Lawn Tennis Club, Onikan.
Onibokun, who is the Chairman of the Technical Committee of the championship, told Tennis Special that he did not expect an outstanding performance from Nigerian players in the tourney this year.
According to him, the draws of the first round released by the tournamentâ€
“All the players taking part in the competition should ordinarily expect tough oppositions, but wonâ€
“I heard that Nigerian players were camped ahead of this competition. This would have prepared them for the tourney. But the general impression is that local players were not trained long enough to match the foreign stars featuring in the Governorâ€
“You cannot compare the local players to the foreigners who are coming to Lagos right from other competitions. These players are playing circuits around the world and you cannot imagine the form such players will take into the competition,†he said.
Onibokun thinks this yearâ€
“This is not an ideal situation, but this is the reality. It would be the same old story because I do not see our players making much impact in the tourney,†said Onibokun.
However, he added that it would be too early to predict a resounding performance of the local players in the tourney.
“The Main Draws just started. I believe by the end of the first week, weâ€
He also commented on the standard of the tourney over the years, saying it improves every year.