Tennis, popularly known as Lawn Tennis in Nigeria, due to the fact that the original name still hold sway among sports lovers in Nigeria because it differenciate it from ping-pong, is one of the few sports not enjoying attention in the grassroots level. Unlike football, the number of children and youth vying to be an international super star is quite few in the streets of Nigeria.
In Europe, specifically in England, records have shown that everyone who has won the Wimbledon Open has held the racket before the age of seven.
Though that statistics is not common in Nigeria, infact, it’s very rare but it’s not impossible. Sports247 Naija, caught up with Ridwan Sikiru who has held the racket from the age of four years. According to Sikiru, he has been playing the game of tennis for the last twenty years in the Sports Complex of the National Stadium, Surulere Lagos.
He emphasizes the need for the sports to gain popularity in Nigeria just like football does as there are a lot of talents in the sports who are ready to do well when supported but no help to get them to their desired greater hight. “I don’t want to stay in the country to play Tennis again. I have used twenty years in this plays playing tennis but no help is coming in. The only person who helped me in training was a friend, Destiny but he is no longer here anymore”
The twenty-four year old also made known the level of monetary reward associated to the sports as one could only get rewarded only when you win a tournament; based on low popularity, earnings are too little in the sports to make ends meet. ” I don’t make money in Lawn Tennis. I just do it for the love of the game. If I get to the final, it’s ok. I could be rewarded but most times, I get out in the quarter finals or in the semi finals” he added.
Sikiru confesses his love for the game as he asked the appropriate authority to rescue the game from dying in the grassroots level.
