I Want To Discover Nigeria’s Number 1

The name may not ring a bell but this Nigerian female tennis player, Lesi Segun from Ogun State, is a coach/player. She spoke to DAMILARE OKUNOLA about her vision for the game

You have not represented Nigeria at any major tournament before?

I have not played for Nigeria. I’ve only represented my school in tennis and that was when I was in the University of Lagos during the West Africa University Games in 2004, and I represented institution for about two years. I also played in a close competition in Lagos recently and I won a silver medal.

What did you study in the university?

I studied Electrical Engineering at the university and at the end of my programme, I decided to follow my first love, which is sports.

What’s your parents’ disposition towards your change of interest?

Luckily for me my parents understood my position. It wasn’t all that easy trying to change to sports after spending all those years in the university, studying Electrical Engineering. My parents are concerned about my education before any other thing. I really believe that education is very important, especially for anybody going into sports.

Which other tourneys did you take part in?

I participated in this year’s CBN Open but did not really go far in the competition because there were much more experienced and talented players in the country.

How did  you start playing tennis?

I started playing tennis since my first year in the university. Initially, I thought tennis would be an easy game but on the contrary it wasn’t easy at all. One of the reasons I like the game was because of the way the ladies dress. It’s a unique sport for the elite and I couldn’t just help playing the game. I hate anything that has to do with body contact and teamwork.

Who among the top female tennis players thrilled you at the time?

I used to follow Steffi Graf because she was a German and the fact that I like Germans’ way of life. They’re quite disciplined and have good work ethics.

The challenges so far?

Of course, there are a couple of challenges. The first is the dearth of tournaments in the country because sponsors are not forthcoming. I also think the government doesn’t have so much interest in the sport, which has made it difficult to develop. Any sport that gets the attention of the government is bound to thrive. Take for instance when the Russian government decided to focus on tennis, the Russians have about five players in the world Top Ten.

Why do you think Nigerians are not showing interested in tennis?

I think it takes time for people to see the fruits of their labour, that’s what tennis is all about. If you start training a child from the age of four, he may not do anything meaningful until he is eight but the sponsors want the child to start giving them results immediately. Then Nigerians need to understand much about the game for them to appreciate it.

For me, I only went on training tour on my own when I felt I had to improve on my game. I went to West African countries like Ghana, Togo and Benin Republic.

And, what you are doing  presently?

I play tennis and study as well but I do both on part-time basis. I’m currently on a coaching course at the Nigerian Institute for Sports, NIS in Lagos. I want to have a good knowledge about coaching and more importantly the difference between being a player and an instructor.

What do you hope to achieve in tennis?

I have a vision and a mission to develop tennis in the country, that’s why some guys and I started a tennis club called the Lesh Tennis Club in UNILAG. Apart from providing the environment and the facilities for those who want to play the game, we are targeting the young ones from three years old with the plan to groom them. The dream is to have Nigeria’s number one player from there. We want to get the country’s future number one tennis player from Lesh Tennis Club someday.

Is any of your siblings into sport?

None of them is into sports. We have a doctor, a lawyer and an engineer in the family. You can see why I said my parents were particular about our education before any other thing.