Tennis Icon, Onibokun Dies At 77

Tragedy befell Nigerian sports again on Monday night, with the death of former tennis international, Thompson Onibokun, who died at the age of 77 in Osogbo, Osun State.

One of the children of the deceased, Toluwalase told P.M.News early today that the remains of the late Onibokun, who was not sick before the sudden death on Monday, have since been deposited at the General Hospital in Osogbo.

“My dad died on Monday night. He was not sick before yesterday, nobody thought he would die when the incident happened. Since then, we have been receiving condolence messages from friends and well wishers. But nobody from the Nigeria Tennis Federation has called our family,” said Toluwalase, a staff of Africa Independent Television, AIT in Abuja, who graduated from the University of Lagos.

She said the late Onibokun was survived by a wife, Olubisi Iyabo and herself and two other children, Oluwaseun and Opeyemi. She disclosed that the family will meet soon to announce the burial arrangement.

Speaking on the death of the former national Davis Cup player and a Nigerian who played in the qualifiers of the Wimbledon Open and the US Open in the 1960s, Tournament Director of the Governor’s Cup Lagos Tennis Championship, Prince ‘Wale Oladunjoye said that the late Onibokun, who had been the chairman of the technical committee of the championship since inception in 2000, was an icon who had contributed a lot to the development of Nigerian tennis.

“Onibokun was a very strong support that we would miss in the Governor’s Cup. He was an elder and an example to all of us in the Local Organising Committee, LOC, of the Governor’s Cup. Onibokun was a gentleman to the core. I knew him when he was playing. He was an outstanding player whom Nigeria will never forget.

“We have informed the family to get in touch with us on how we can be part of the burial for us to play an active role in the arrangement. On behalf of the Lagos State Governor,  Babatunde Raji Fashola, the chairman of the LOC, Chief Pius Akinyelure, the vice chairman, Engr. Afolabi Salami and other members of the LOC, I commiserate with Osun State government and the family of Onibokun,” said Prince Oladunjoye.

Chief Coach of Nigeria Tennis Federation, Rotimi Akinloye described Onibokun’s death as a great loss to the country.

“He was a professional that we’ll miss. He was a great player that I looked up to when I started playing tennis and now as a coach. He inspired me to whatever I become in tennis today. It is sad that he has to leave us now. May his soul rest in perfect peace,” Akinloye prayed.

By Taiwo Adelu