The veterans of Lagos State University of Technology Tennis Club, LTC have advised young tennis players that participated in the just concluded club’s Junior Tennis Clinic Tournament that ended on Monday.
It could be recalled that Ademola Odusanya won the gold medal in U 12 male category while Olaniyan Adesewa emerged as the winner in the U 12 female category.
In a chat with sportxvibe.com.ng, a former financial secretary to the club, Mr. Akeem Omowunmi, said the academy was founded to groom grassroot lawn tennis players, adding it was important to chart way to harness these talents
“We created this academy in order to develop tennis players from grassroot, we felt that it is better that we catch them young and at the same help the youth, engage them in sports, so that they have lesser time in doing something that is not right.” He said.
He said it has been in the offing of the club to expose the kids to global tennis event, adding that it will help mold the players.
“And we the phase we going now, by God grace by next year, we should be partaking in intercontinental competition, not minding that we just launched it now, it has been something that has been on our mind before.
“With the crop of players, we have now, we will sing another fine tune by next year, when they will engage fully in intercontinental, interstate, inter club competition and in the course of things, it will help them to grow in individual capacity and mold them because to be a tennis a player, you have to be discipline, you have to be agile, fit, so in the course of doing this thing meet whatever challenge, they have individually and at such develop them.” He said.
Education is not about classroom
Talking about combining sports and education, Alhaji Aliu Kayode, one of the club’s veteran, said divorcing sports and education would deny the proper growth of child.
“Marrying sports and academic together is a way of enhancing the children brain and learning because doing sports after academics is a way marrying the 3 circle motor of education together. Education is not about classroom alone, is all about sports, classroom and social aspect of it.
“They will able to rest well, move well, it will reduce the high level of fat and cholesterol in their body and sharpen their memories and be ahead than others.
Mr, Yinus Abu stressed on the need to get sponsorship for the tournament
“The kids are the future so is better to encourage them. It is a good idea to go into sponsorship when it is going to provide the coverage and promotional arm of the kids to grow. The kids need to be serious” He said.
Alhaji Saheed Odusanya attested sports would help expose the children to life opportunities.
“Sports is good, it will expose, it can take them to places they never expect, countries they don’t even think they can’t get to them, through sports all these things are available.
My advice for the children is that they should try and put in their best not only in academic, as they are doing well in academic, they should try and do well in sports.”