ISRAEL TAIWO
The performance of Sylvia Chidera Oreigbemileke Okafor, a Netherlands based Nigerian player, in the ongoing 17th Governor’s Cup Lagos Tennis Championship has been a source of pride to her parents, Mr and Mrs Ogochukwu Okafor.
The two parents traveled all the way from Amsterdam with their 17 years old daughter to Lagos for the 2017 Governor’s Cup.
“We are here to give our parental support to our daughter who is playing her first bigger tournament in Lagos. Honestly, the experience she would get here is very crucial to her career development notwithstanding that she lost her match, ” the father told PM EXPRESS at the lounge of the Lagos Lawn Tennis Club, Onikan.
Okafor played in the Women’s Doubles of Futures 4 of the Governor’s Cup where she paired with another local girl, Sarah Adegoke. The duo were beaten in the first round by the pair of Conny Perrin of Switzerland and Valeriya Strakhova of Ukraine. She also lost her singles match against Melanie Klaffner from Austria in the first round of the Main Draws.
“That she lost the match was not what we were after as the parents, but the exposure playing with top players here in Lagos is what we want her to take. It our belief that going on now she must have improved on her game, ” he said.
Mr Okafor paid glowing tribute to an Amsterdam based foundation, Sjtaz Foundation, for making it possible for their daughter to make the Governor’s Cup.
” This foundation has been supported not only to our daughter, but other kids too. They have been helpful and I also want to thank Nigeria Tennis Federation for giving our daughter a wildcard to play in the Main Draws of the second leg of the Governor’s Cup. This is a rare privileged which we are grateful for, ” Mr Okafor said.