Daily Independent Online.
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Monday,June 14, 2004.
CBN tennis still on hold
Stories by Anthony Abolo Jnr .
Correspondent, Lagos
This year’s CBN sponsored tennis tournament
cancelled earlier is still on hold. According to the secretary of the Nigeria
Tennis Federation, Mr. Segun Oguntade, ‘the tournament has been postponed
indefinitely.I cannot tell you precisely why but I suspect that it must be as a
result of the change of leadership at the Central Bank.’ He, however,
disclosed that the tournament will definitely take place and that the sponsors
have communicated to him that as soon as they were ready, they would get in
touch with the tennis federation.
Meanwhile, the postponement has caused a lot of
anxiety to several players who have been preparing for the tournament. Last
week at the National Staduim, Surulere, many of them were seen training in
preparation for the tournament. Some of the players expressed frustration at
the postponement which they said had affected their plans. Most affected were
the Olympics bound team who said they would have loved to participate in the
event as a part of their build up for the Athens Olympics but that they were
disappointed and afraid that they might not have the opportunity of taking part
in the event.
On the proposed playing tour of Germany by the Olympics team, which is yet to be
confirmed by the tennis federation, the secretary would not be drawn into specifics saying instead that “it is a ministry of
sports affair. We have our own duty and they have theirs. I am not in a
position to speak for the ministry . You should go there and ask them about
it.”
