The
reality is that Nigerian tennis has generally been in a steady decline.
But when it comes to women’s tennis, the decline has been cataclysmic.
Right now, there are no female players on the WTA rankings – the men
still have some players in the 1000s. This became more glaring to
observers at the Futures tournament, also known as the Governor’s Cup,
which is currently in its 10th edition. At the first leg of the
tournament, the likes of Fatima Abinu and Blessing Samuel were at least
able to get to the second round but at the second leg, they all failed
to go beyond the first round.
Bad players or just unprepared?
Blessing Samuel attributed some of the defeats to the fact that they met better players.
“I think the
opponents we faced in the first round of this second leg were tougher
than the ones we faced in the first leg. That was why we could not last
long. We prepared as best as we could and we went out to play but our
opponents were better,” she said.
Good preparation amounts to participating in a tennis circuit with lesser tournaments before major ones like the Governors Cup.
Thompson Onibokun,
Chairman technical Adviser of the Governor’s Cup and a former coach,
said “If the player had been playing regularly in tournament type
events, it helps to improve the player. Over time and with the help of
her coach, she would have been able to overcome or at least deal with
high pressure matches, which was the reason most of the female players
were not able to withstand their opponents.
The problem could
also come from too much pressure from home fans’ expectations which is
a normal thing in life but especially in sports,” he said.
The number one
woman tennis player on the local scene, Fatima Abinu, attributed her
own loss of form to pressure. “I don’t know about other athletes but
for me it was pressure that caused me to lose my game. I felt I needed
to win,” she said.
“I think the need
to win made me to lose focus from the game and I did not study my
opponent well enough and I allowed her to get the better of me”.
Onibokun said a lot of players are unable to handle the pressure.
“Like the player
who said she was under pressure, it is possible for it happen if such a
player believes that the expectations are high. Such a person may not
be able to cope,” he said adding that it should not be so.
“If the player had
been playing regularly in tournament type events, it helps to keep the
player cool. Over time and with the help of her coach, she would have
been able to overcome or at least deal with such pressure. Such is able
to cope with such pressures”.
Blessing also gave other reasons for the decline in the woman’s game.
“Many of the ladies who play tennis do not take it up at an early age. So when they start,
they actually find
it a bit difficult. I count myself lucky to have started out early. My
father was a tennis player and now a coach, so I developed interest for
the game early.”
Playing the circuit for experience
Another coach, Peter Osagie, who was also a tennis player, agrees that a player needs exposure to improve on his game.
“When they go to
tournaments, even if they don’t win, they are able to bring back
experience that no amount of training can give. It gives confidence and
you would not be feeling that somebody is better than you are. There is
nothing like playing with other players and experiencing what is going
on,” Osagie said.
One thing that has hampered the athletes getting the needed exposure has been inadequate resources.
“Many Nigerian
players do not have the wherewithal to take themselves to enough
tournaments and that in itself can affect the athletes psychologically.
When you know you have needs, [it] is enough to weigh you down,” Osagie
added.
The need for discipline
Apart from the need
for exposure, Osagie said many of the athletes need to be disciplined.
“No matter how skilled, you still need discipline to make it to the
pinnacle of whatever endeavour you choose. It is discipline that keeps
you at the top,” he said.
Asked if the coach
does not have a part to play in instilling discipline in the athletes,
Osagie said, “Though the coach has a part to play, I believe discipline
is something an individual needs to work on. When we used to play, we
had coaches but now, most of the players feel they do not need coaches
and this shows a form of arrogance. Even the ones who decide to have
coaches want the coaches to train them for free. Is it possible for one
not to reap where he has sown?”
“In the past, the
system was that you share with your coach whatever proceeds you get at
tournaments. The player takes 70% while the coach gets 30%. Now it is
not so. The players want to get all. They have forgotten that a coach
also impacts on their performance”.
Defying the odds
Many believe that the game can be improved despite the odds.
“The will to excel
is first and foremost the most important. Most times when we train
athletes we are able to judge their potentials. However, the most
saddening thing is that most times, the athletes get to the court and
plays below that potential,” Onibokun said. “They do not put up a fight
and you know that it so disappointing when you have faith in some one
and he cowers just because he feels a player is better than he is. When
there is no fighting spirit, how do want to encourage sponsors? You
don’t have to always win but you should play to the best of your
potential.”
Osagie on his part
said everybody has a role to play. “Though the Nigeria Tennis
Federation has a part to play, for example they endorse players from
Nigeria; they are not the only ones who should sponsor the players.
Some of the players you see here started on their own but somehow, some
people saw them and started supporting them. Our players should not
just wait for somebody to do all the work. They should start somewhere.
When somebody sees their effort then, they can help them,” he said.
Osagie is unhappy with people who make promises without keeping them.
“During the finals
of last year’s Governor’s Cup, Governor Fashola promised that he would
sponsor about eight of the athletes but up until now, we have not seen
anything. It is usually not good for the athletes because their hopes
are subsequently raised and then it is dashed.”
He however believes that the governor must have a reason for not keeping his promise.
“When he comes this year, we will take it up with him on the reasons why he has kept the athletes waiting”.
