Team Nigeria touched down in Togo on Friday evening, after traveling for about eleven hours on the road, with just one thing on their minds. Revenge!
The Nigerian youngsters, about eight of them, teamed up with their colleagues in Lome, the capital city of Togo, for the year-opening African Junior Tennis Championship as they seek to get better than their last performance at the competition.
With the junior tennis players now in the West African country, they are looking forward to a great tournament while also hoping to take their revenge on the countries that deprived Nigeria of a thorough gold medals haul at the competition the last time.
Yahaya Sani, one of the top juniors who traveled on Friday morning, told Nigeria Tennis Live before their departure that he badly needs to win that gold medal.
“As in… I really want to win gold this time around,” he began during a conversation with our correspondent.
“The last time, I won bronze, and it was painful because I know I could have done better.
“This time around, I’m going to take my revenge and make sure I win gold medal for Nigeria,” the Abuja-based youngster added.
For Etoro Bassey, who will be representing Nigeria for the first time at an international event outside the country, it will be a nervy start, but she believes she will give it all that it takes.
“I’m excited and a little bit nervous to be representing Nigeria for the first time, but I’ll give it my best and play very well,” the visibly excited youngster stated.
Team Nigeria is in Togo with a host of the players’ parents as well as Coaches Rotimi Akinloye and Moses Paul.
Nigeria Tennis Live will keep in touch with the team out there, and report all the details from the players’ performance in Togo.