The Nigeria Tennis Federation is taking full advantage of the current school holiday with a couple of programmes aimed at developing tennis as the Niger Holiday Tennis Clinic holds in Minna while the inaugural Alhaji Adewale Issa Memorial Tournament holds in the Kaduna with over 100 players taking part in the events.
The coordinator of the Niger Holiday Clinic holding at the Minna Tennis Club, Seidu Musa, said over 40 kids drawn from primary and secondary schools from the state are being introduced to the game in order to avoid the vacuum that will be created when the senior players leave.
Musa, an ITF Bornze badge referee, who has officiated in grand slams such as Wimbledon Open, Australian Open and US Open as well as the Olympics, said the kids are being trained in the latest techniques in the sport under its catch them young theme.
He commended the NTF for its support for the week-long clinic which will end on Saturday, saying the federation has provided all the balls and racquets in addition to logistics for the programme.
Similarly, the 1st Adewale Issa Memorial Tournament is equally attracting over 60 kids at the Kaduna Clay Court.
The participating states for the event that is also enjoying the full backings of the NTF are Abuja, Kano, Jigawa, Kogi, Nasarawa, Benue Plateau, Katsina and host Kaduna.
The programme is being facilitated by Arinola Isa, an ITF white badge official with support from Mohammed Ubale, Nigeria junior tennis head coach.
The boys are competing in five categories namely U-10, U-12, U-14, U-16 and U-18 while girls are competing in U-10 and U-14 categories.
Alhaji Issa, who died in March 2015, is reputed to be the coach with the discoveries of highest number of Nigerian tennis stars with the likes of Sadiq Abdullahi, Sule Ladipo and a host of others getting their breakthrough in the game under his tutelage.
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