Why Nigeria is declining in tennis -Chief Ernest Elochukwu

 


















Chief Ernest Elochukwu at center court , tennis section of   Porthacourt club 1928



Tennis is no doubt a very lucrative sport that most top ranked tennis players in the ATP and WTA has earned so much fortune from the game .


These top ranked tennis players at the global stage travel week in and week out to participate in ATps and WTA tournaments especially Grand slam events to cart home millions of dollars.


A feat which has been very elusive to Nigeria tennis players owing to inadequate tournaments and lack of sponsorship.


Moreso, Government huge concentration on football  to the detriment of other sports also have a hand in the steady decline of tennis in Nigeria.


Porthacourt based sports Philanthropist Chief Ernest Elochukwu is blaming the dwindling fortunes of tennis in Nigeria on  corruption and maladministration of those saddled with the responsibility of running sports in the country.


The Chairman of Nestello Gateway group, Ernest Elochukwu went memory lane of Nigeria was a force to reckon with during the era of Nduka Odisor  who featured at Grand slam events to keep Nigeria flag flying at the global stage of the noble sport .




Chairman, Nestello Gateway GROUP Chief Ernest Elochukwu doing what he knows best










The former captain tennis section of  Porthacourt club 1928 noted that Nigeria present state in the sport is far cry from the country held sway in the sport on the continent with the exploits of Nduka Odisor.


He lamented that after the era of the Odisors , Nigeria has not been able to produce great tennis players of such great quality and making waves in the international circuit.


According to the tennis enthusiast "all the other tennis playing nations have invested so much in the sport by continuously grooming and nurturing talents who turn super stars in the future 


As a country we are retrogressing in tennis and borrowing a leaf from the template of  top ranked tennis playing nations are doing to develop the game in their climes


Speaking on the way forward, Ernest Elochukwu who is a seasoned politician cum ports administrator  asked those  at the helm of affairs in the sports sector to set targets to the various sporting federations in Nigeria 


He pointed out that the target of ensuring that Nigeria regain visibility at the global stage of tennis where the nation's players will feature prominently at the Grand slam events and ATPs and WTAs is achievable, only if the Nigeria tennis federation is ceded to credible administrators with integrity to run the affairs of the game in the country 




Ernest Elochukwu  who is an ardent fan of Roger Federer and Novak Njokovic advised the leadership of Nigeria tennis federation to emulate the template iniated by RUSSIA that pave way for their dominance in the sport with the likes of Maria Sharapova holding sway in the WTAs and Grand slam event as well as giving stuff opposition to Williams sisters of America.


This he said will revamped the sport from the doldrums in the country and reposition Nigeria at the global stage 



By Barididum Leema 





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