Coach Rotimi Akinloye, head of NTF’s technical department, has opened up on why Nigeria’s top stars were dropped from the Davis Cup team that traveled to Kenya on Sunday.
The likes of Joseph Imeh, Christian Paul and number one star, Sylvester Emmanuel, were left behind as the team opted for fresh legs in the frame of Sunday Audu, Emmanuel Idoko and Emmanuel Paul, for the competition.
And shortly after the team touched down in Nairobi, Kenya, Nigeria Tennis Live correspondent reached out to the vastly experienced tennis coach, to find out the reason for the latest development.
He explained that there was no real reason other than the fact that the team is metamorphosing.
“I think if you look at the Super Eagles, you’ll see that it has metarmorphosed; the same thing is happening to tennis,” he told Nigeria Tennis Live.
“There must be a time for transition, the NTF is transitioning and that’s why you can see that even the Davis Cup captain is not the same as before.
“There’s always a time for assessment, and even I who is speaking to you will not be there forever.
“We’re trying to put our dragnet wider and extend it to others this time,” Coach Akinloye explained further.
When asked if he thinks the new set of players have what it takes to perform optimally, Akinloye who led Nigeria to the African Games in Morocco, stated that their inclusion in the team means that they arenupnto the task.
According to him: “Anybody that dons the national colours can perform and that’s why these ones have been chosen to represent the country at the international competition.
“It not the result that breeds performance, it is performance that breeds results. So, if they keep up with a good performance, the result will surely come.”
On whether the players dropped may make a return to the Davis Cup team, he responded by saying: “Nobody knows tomorrow, nobody has said that they will not return to the fold; even Enyeama is craving to play for the Super Eagles today. So, you can never say never.”
Team Nigeria is seeking promotion from the Africa Zone Group III, a feat which has eluded the country for several years now.