15th August, 2013
Tennis prodigy Serena Teluwo, will leave the shores of Nigeria on a training tour of Europe and Asia on Friday, 16 August.
The precious 7-year old tennis whiz kid, a primary three pupil in one of the famous Nursery and Primary Schools in Somolu, Lagos will depart Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos Lisbon, Spain on the first stage of her 30-day training tour, being sponsored by a sport-loving Yinka Oke. She will be accompanied on the trip by her mother, Mrs. Teluwo.
The light-skinned Serena, daughter of the famous football proprietor and sport philanthropist, Chief Dr. Rilwan Adewale Teluwo of Obanta, Vigilant Professional and Frontliners Football Club fame has been the cynosure of tennis buffs in recent months with her rapid growth in tennis circles since 2011, when she started holding the rackets at the age of five.
Her drives, chips and power-packed serves have endeared her to the hearts of the game’s adherents both locally and internationally.
It would be recalled that the teenage Serena was the toast of the Williams sisters when the duo of Venus and Serena paid a short visit to Lagos late November, 2012. Here in Lagos on that memorable day, Serena Teluwo stunned the frenetic tennis crowd with her dexterity and strong determination on the court as she stood spraying serves with sublime skills of a potential world beater.
At the end of the show, Serena Teluwo advanced and fell into the waiting hands of her mentor Serena Williams, who embraced her before giving her Nigeria’s name sake a cap as sourvenir.
Hear what Serena had to say about her intending 30-day training tour to Spain, United Kingdom and United Arab Emirates. “I have been given the opportunity to explore the tennis world and I know I would not be going to Lisbon in Spain, London in UK and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates on sight-seeing. I hope to learn one or two things that would help me improve on my tennis career.
“By the grace of God, I would emulate my idol and mentor, Serena Williams of America”