What we need to excel in tennis – Federation President 

Ifedayo Akindoju, the President of the Nigeria Tennis Federation, says lack of academies, facilities and good coaches have stalled Nigerian players from doing well in the sport at the global level.
Akindoju said this on Friday in Abuja against the backdrop of Nigerian players’ poor performances at the ongoing 17th Governor’s Cup Tennis Championship in Lagos.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Nigerian players who featured in the men’s singles of the event crashed out before the quarter-finals stage.
The NTF president however said the right attitude needed to be taught to players at an early age to ensure a good representation for the country at the global level.
He said: “We are trying to build a new set of players with the right attitude and that is the pathway to achieving good results in tennis.
“All over the world, those who are winning are following that pathway of having good facilities, academies and the right coaches.
“For instance, the coaches don’t just teach you the game but also how to be mentally strong and disciplined, and to tell you what to eat or what not to eat. That is the way people like Roger Federer excelled in the sport.”
Akindoju also disclosed that the Federation was working towards grooming kids with potential in the sport.
He said: “The reason why we are organising this kind of event in Nigeria is to expose kids to having a bigger picture of what the game looks like at the world stage.
“We are also sending kids with potential to academies in the U.S. Already, we have Marylove Edwards in Florida, while Angel Macleod and Oyinlomo Quadri would be joining Edwards in January.
“Though, we are also planning to have academies in the six geo-political zones and also have good teachers to train and monitor our players, but it is all a gradual process.”
NAN reports that the Governor’s Cup is an International Tennis Federation pro-circuit event which allows participants from all over the world.
The 17^th edition began on October 6 and will end on Saturday.