United Arab Emirates-based Nigerian tennis star, Monday Igbinovia, has revealed the secrets to tennis development in Nigeria.
The ebony tennis player who made a name for himself in the Nigeria Communication Commission (NCC) league before leaving the country in August, 2017, told Nigerian Tennis Live in an exclusive chat that he believes the country can do really well if adequate resources are pumped into the sport.
“Tennis has more value here than in Nigeria,” the head coach at SIMBR Tennis Academy, who doubles a hitting partner, began.
“People spend money on tennis here.
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| Monday Igbonovia (left) poses with another tennis coach at the SIMBR Tennis Academy, UAE. |
“A big tennis academy need to be in Nigeria were students can come after school. Nigeria needs a big tennis academy where students can come after school, this will surely aid tennis development in the country,” he explained further.
While explaining the standard that is required to have a good tennis academy, the man who is a close relation of Jonathan Igbinovia, a legendary Nigerian tennis player, noted that the Lagos Lawn Tennis Club in Onikan has the facilities to have a proper tennis academy.
He stated, however, that it takes extreme passion for the sport to make it work in the club where he was playing in Nigeria before leaving for the UAE.
Igbinovia said: “The Lagos Lawn Tennis Club has the facilities to have the kind of tennis academy that I mentioned, but we need people who have serious and strong passion for the game.
“I am not saying that we do not have such people there, all I am saying is that we need to show more of this passion to raise the game in the country.”