At Long Last! Wheelchair Tennis Players Return To National Stadium In Lagos

IKPO IGBINOBA

 Wheelchair tennis players returned to the courts of the National Stadium, Surulere on Monday, after ten months of absence.

The players were banished from the Sportscity in March 2020 along with athletes of other disciplines following the Covid 19 pandemic inspired lockdown.

However, while other physically challenged athletes of other sports(power lifting, para table-tennis and wheelchair basketball) were allowed to return to the stadium, from late September, the wheelchair tennis players were not that lucky.

Vice president of the Nigeria Tennis Federation, Mr. Lateef Shodipo who doubles as head of wheelchair tennis division of the federation approached the relevant authorities to allow the players return to the stadium but all his efforts couldn’t yield any result.

Early January, Mr Shodipo brought his case to P.M.EXPRESS during an interview where he sounded so frustrated.

It would be recalled that during the interview, he made a passionate appeal to the Youth and Sports Minister, Mr. Sunday Dare to order the reopening of the tennis court for the wheelchair tennis players.On Monday, an excited Mr. Shodipo was full of praise and prayers for the PM Express and the Minister.

He was gushing as he spoke with me on the phone.”We are back to the stadium. Right now wheelchair tennis players are on the courts, doing what they know how to do best. “Yes, we are back and on behalf of all wheelchair tennis players in the country, I thank you and your publication for making today possible. “God will bless you and your publication abundantly.

“Also permit me to use this opportunity to thank the Sports Minister for not just hearing our cries but taking a decision that has brought joy to all of us today. God will bless him”.

The wheelchair tennis chief said he was confident the sport would flourish in the year.

According tohim “Wheelchair tennis will grow this year with all the plans that we have. Now, we have our courts back so we have no reason not to flourish”.