BY ADEYEMI ROBINSON-ADEFIOYE, LAGOS
Former CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA (CBN) Tennis Champion and presently the country’s number 9 ranked CLIFFORD ENOSOREGBE says his non participation in the fixutres 1 of the ongoing ITF Lagos Open is to prepare hard for the fixtures 2 of the same Tournament.
In an exclusive interview with www.sunrisetimes.com.ng, ENOSOREGBE said 2019 edition of the LAGOS OPEN cannot be compared with last year’s edition adding that Nigerian Players who were unable to do well in the first leg of the tournament will perform beyond expectations in the second leg.
The erstwhile DALA HARD COURT CHAMPION sounded optimistic that with hard work and determination he would do better in the second leg emphasizing that he has been playing ITF and ATP for a while and he is not a greenhorn in the game of tennis.
“For me I think the tournament is not tough enough compare to the last year’s edition, a lot of Nigerian Players should leverage on fixures 1, with the fixtures 2, I think they will do well.
“I will do well in the second leg with what I saw in the first leg, i have seen the loopholes in the fixures 1 and with hard work and determination because I have been in the game before, it is not a new thing to me but all what I need is to put my head down and focus”.
ENOSOREGBE who lamented lack of tournaments in the country said for Nigerian Players after LAGOS OPEN is DALA HARD COURT but DALA HARD COURT TENNIS TOURNAMENT what next?
He however advised the NIGERIAN TENNIS FEDERATION’S President, DAYO AKINDOJU to fine-tune appropriate channel to revive the game of tennis in the country through the junior players.
“This year we have only played one tournament which is not encouraging me to, that is why Nigeria failed woefully at the recently Davis Cup Qualifier and when you fail to prepare you prepare to fail. That is why we find it so difficult to face our foreign counterpart during the Tournament.
“For us to meet up with the foreign players we have to travel for one tournament to other even though we have enough national tournaments in the country, we can matchup with any player in the world. I would like the NTF President and the board members to realize this and fine-tune an appropriate channel to resuscitate the game of tennis through the junior ones” ENOSOREGBE said.
