8th December, 2014
Damilare Okunola/Abuja
The Nigeria Tennis Federation, NTF has allayed fears over insecurity in Kano, following some players’ refusal to attend the Dala Hard Court Tourney in the northern part of the country.
The players had expressed concerns over security in the northern part of the country following recent bombings, especially the recent bombing of the central mosque in the state capital.
But, the federation has quelled such fears by stating categorically that every necessary measure has been put in place to ensure safety of players, officials and everyone involved in the tournament.
According to Mr. Yemi Owoseni, Vice president of the NTF, “our lives as citizens of this great country are being insured by God and then the Federal Government. So, we cannot say that we are the ones securing anybody.
“However, the federation has made every plan to ensure that everything goes ahead smoothly in Kano. Security measures have been put in place and we are assuring all the players there that with God on our side, everything is fine”.
Also corroborating the federation’s claims was one of Nigeria’s top players, Nonso Madueke, who stated that security operatives are always present at the club and hotel being used for the championship.
“There are always security men around, so we are assured of our security at least from what we get here every year. Presently, everything is in place for the tournament to go on well”.
The Dala Hard Court Tourney started with the preliminaries on Friday and will end on Saturday, 13 December, 2014 in Kano.