NTF, LOC To Camp Local Players

Nigeria Tennis Federation, NTF, in conjunction with the Local Organising Committee, LOC, of the Governor’s Cup Lagos Tennis Championship, have concluded arrangement to organise a two-week camping for some local players who will feature in the 2013 edition of the ITF approved competition this year.

The tournament, sponsored by Etisalat Nigeria, FCMB Plc., LASACO Assurance Plc., CCECC Limited, PLYCON Limited and several other notable companies and individuals holds at the Lagos Lawn Tennis Club, Onikan from 13-27 October.

The camping exercise is being organized to further boost the chances of the Nigerian players who had hitherto played second fiddles to the well equipped and experienced foreign players who had been coming to the country not only to use the Governor’s Cup to improve on their ATP rankings, but carted away the $80,000 prize money in both the men and women’s singles since the competition became an ITF sanctioned Futures.

President of the NTF, Engr. Sani Ndanusa disclosed that the federation with active collaboration with the LOC is putting the camping together because of the previous performance of the Nigerian players in the competition.

“The camping is one of our contributions to prepare our players psychological and technically for this year’s Governor’s Cup. The plan is to select 10 players and prepare them with the help of two coaches for two weeks in Lagos before the competition.

“We have the support of the LOC on this camping and it is our expectation that the players will put up good performance this year,” said Ndanusa, who is also the president of Nigeria Olympic Committee, NOC and a former Minister of Sports.

Ndanusa commended the media for their support over the years for the federation’s programmes and the mileage giving to the Governor’s Cup in the last 12th editions.

Tournament Director of the Governor’s Cup, Prince Wale Oladunjoye said the LOC is expecting the local players to give the foreign players good fight this year, adding that more emphasis will be laid on the nutrition of the players during the camping.

“During the camping, the players will be proper fed to correct their nutrition and there will be full training to prepare them for the challenges ahead. It will be a two-week exercise. 

We are expecting that they will have two or three days break before the commencement of the Governor’s Cup. This is a programme of the NTF, but the LOC is supporting so that at the end of the day there will be good results from our players this year