End Of Year Review: Governor’s Cup Keeps 4th Quarter Busy

The fourth quarter of the year 2011 was a busy period for Nigerian players as Governor’s Cup rescued local players from unwarranted break from the International Tennis Federation, ITF, tourneys. The quarter also witnessed the Dala Hard Court championship played in Kano.

A few weeks to the beginning of the 11th edition of the Governor’s Cup, Head coach of the Nigerian Tennis Federation, NTF, Rotimi Akinloye, said it would be very difficult if not impossible for a Nigerian player to win this year’s edition of the ITF approved tourney.

Although Akinloye admitted that the local players lack the prowess to achieve the feat, he said it would be a great delight if Nigerian players can win the tourney.

Chairman of the Local Organising Committee, LOC, of the Governor’s Cup, Lagos Tennis Championship, Chief Pius Akinyelure, described the tourney as the pride of Nigeria and Africa at the press conference organised to serve off the championship at the Lagos Tennis Club, Onikan, Lagos.

Tunde Ogungbesan, the father of the England-born Nigerian player, Lolade Ogungbesan, who participated at the tourney , said it is difficult to be a dad and coach of his daughter at the Governor’s Cup.

He, however, said he has learnt to be her coach only when she is on court and her dad when she is off the court.

Gerhard Klaffer, the father of the women’s double champion of the first leg of the 2011 Governor’s Cup, Melaine Klaffner, said he is fulfilled as a father to see her daughter win the double’s event of the tourney.

The winner of the second leg of Governor’s Cup, Lagos Tennis Championship, Kamil Capkovic of Slovakia attributed his triumph to hard word. Capkovic won the second leg’s final after beating Indian man, Vijayant Malik, in a thrilling encounter in straight sets 6-2, 7-5.

He lauded the Local Organising Committee, LOC, for providing standard facilities for the players throughout the two week-championship.

Capkovic said if he is still ranked among the players that can participate in the tourney next year, he would not hesistate to come to Nigeria to defend his title.

Lagos State government reiterated its commitment to the development of tennis in the country by partnering private organisations in the state to organise more tourneys for local players.

At the closing ceremony of the championship, Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola, commended Etisalat Nigeria for its effort in developing tennis in the country.

He said the gesture would bring back the nation’s glory in the game and tasked other corporate bodies to emulate Etisalat in order to raise the standard of the game in Nigeria.

Lagos State Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Barrister Enitan Oshodi, said the state government has put machinery in place to ensure that the game is developed in the country.

Barrister Oshodi also assured Nigerians that the state government will encourage the game in both primary and secondary schools in the state.

Abamu Collins, a Nigerian player at the tourney, attributed low level of development in the game in the country to godfatherism.

Collins alleged that players are not selected for major championships based on merit but on whom they know.

He also faulted the way players are discovered and groomed in the country.