Daily Independent Online.
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Monday, July 05, 2004.
We are not prepared for the Olympics - Tarmena
Stories by Anthony
Abolo, Jr.
Correspondent,
Lagos
Tennis coach Frank
Tarmena had declared long before
now, that the country’s
tennis team was not adequately prepared for the Athens games as there was no proper arrangement for
training such as tournaments that could help the country do well at the
games.He said all that had been done so far was just the usual last minute rush
which would not bring any positive result.
Asked about the
chances of the Nigerian team doing well at the Olympics if they were eventually
allowed to feature, he had replied, “are we really prepared?What have we
put in place so far? We won’t advance beyond the first round.”
Most analysts
had agreed that the chances were
not as bright as the Athens games would feature several top players from all
over the world which would make it a tough battle for the Nigerian team given
the state of the game presently
and Nigeria’s performance in some circuits and in the Davies Cup.
Tarmena said “most of the world’s top players move from one
tournament to another year in year out . If they are beaten in one tournament
or Grand Slam event , they move to
the next. They keep moving and
this helps to improve their skills and styles.How many tournaments have we had
in the country this year? Have our players been going out to play in circuits?
We don’t stand any chance” he said.
However, national
coach, Rotimi Akinloye thought differently .He had said that he and his team would do the country proud knowing
that the Olympics was not a jamboree and that they would do well.In his words,
“we are not going there for a jambore , my boys are working hard at their
training and we are going to
Athens to win.” .
Nigeria’s No 2 tennis player, ,Abdulmumuni
Babalola, also supported Akinloye . According to him, “we did very well
at the last All Africa Games where nobody gave us a chance. I know the Olympics
is not a child’s play but I will like to tell all Nigerians that they
should at the least expect , one
medal from the tennis team.”
Most tennis lovers believe that the country’s tennis
players would not be able to withstand
the fire power of top class players that would feature at the Olympics
because the team was only going there as spectators
and coach Frank Tarmena reasons that the idea of wanting to go to Athens when
Nigeria did not qualify in the first place was absurd. He accused the officials
of wanting to go to Athens just to waste government funds. He said, “they
just want to go there for a picnic . They know already that we do not have any
chance. It is an opportunity for them to make money.”
