Mbora Serves Wheelchair Tennis “Old-Timers” Quit Notice

IKPO IGBINOBA 

Liaison Officer of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Nkana Mbora on Wednesday April 21, 2021 was in no laughing mood.

The former basketball star was one of the special guests who graced the finals of the National Wheelchair Tennis Tournament at the centre court of the National Stadium in Surulere.

Duelling before the crowd for the star prize of N50,000 were two perennial rivals who had dominated wheelchair tennis in the country for thirteen years, Alex Adewale and Wasiu Yusuf.

Yusuf took over the reins of power after dethroning Jude Awazie in 2008. He reigned for two years before he was toppled by Alex Adewale in 2011.

Since 2011, Alex has remained the champion. In any major event, the duo of Alex and Wasiu are the regular finalists.

This was the scenario that unfolded last Wednesday at the finals of the National Wheelchair Tennis Tournament.

And Ms Mbora who was in attendance as the representative of the Sports Minister was not excited.

After the encounter in which Adewale defeated Wasiu, the LO who presented the cash prizes to the players told the twosome bluntly: “It’s time for you people to quit. You have done overtime. You should please give way to younger players.”

The crowd and the players were stunned.

But the former basketball player of the University of Benin was not through with her angst.

She added “By now, people should be tired of witnessing final featuring just the two of you. It’s time you moved on and allow the young ones come on stage”.

Reacting, the undisputed champion  Adewale said the Liaison Officer was right. He exclusively told PM Express “Yes the LO was right. Since 2011, I have been dominating the sport. I am not happy about it because I feel that my game is retarded since I have run out of local opposition”.

Adewale lamented the lack of  opportunities blaming the sports authorities for not doing the needful.

According to him “Apart from occasional tournaments at home, we very rarely go out of the country to get adequate exposure and improve our game”.

He called on the authorities to pay more attention to wheelchair tennis. 

“If they(the sports authorities) fund wheelchair tennis properly, we all will witness the type of growth the LO is hinting at”.