Ogun Tennis Association Celebrates Senior Coaches for Active Roles

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Ogun State Tennis Association has celebrated Kehinde Martins-Ake, a former senior tennis coach in Ogun State, and Coach Wole Festus Akinyeju, Director, Southlake Tennis Centre, Texas, USA honoring them with a meritorious Award of Excellence for their outstanding contributions to the development and growth of tennis in Nigeria and shogunate in particular.

Sunday Enitan, a coach with Shaw University in America, and Ogun State tennis coach, Kehinde Ijaola, were also named for similar honours, respectively

According to the association’s secretary, Olusola Afolabi, the award was made possible for the identified individuals, who were once tennis players of repute both nationally and internationally for their excellent and continued contributions to the game

The awards were presented after a 2-day workshop tagged, “Modern Day Tennis Coaching,” organized by the Ogun State Tennis Association.

The workshop, which took place at the green court, (tennis section) of the Abeokuta Sports Club, Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital attracted tennis coaches across the state, with Coach Rotimi Akinloye as the lead instructor and Wole Festus Akinyeju, Director, Southlake Tennis Centre, as facilitator.

According to the facilitator, Coach Akinyeju, the recipients exemplified excellence, leadership, respect, and a true love for the sport of tennis and the art of coaching. He said the award showcased people who have inspired generations of young players and fellow coaches to grow the sport of tennis across the globe.

“The recipients tutored players who have represented Nigeria and the African continent and won laurels. They deserved all the accolades, love, and appreciation.” He said

Speaking on the purpose of the workshop, Akinyeju maintained that the impact was going to be positive, at least with time. “I decided to return home to give back to the community that made me and contribute to the growth of tennis in Nigeria.

“What you tell players will make or mar them, so coaches must be up to date with new methodologies, both technically and tactically as well as be ready to exchange ideas to be able to transfer the right knowledge to the players.” He said.

“Again, in tennis, programs, and sponsorship drive growth. Without it, there is nothing anyone can achieve in tennis. it is very important to have a series of programs that would attract corporate sponsors through which players can be developed.” Akinyeju added.

Coach Kehinde Ijaola, the Ogun State Tennis Coach and a former tennis coach in the state, Kehinde Martins-Ake, who was the recipient of the awards, said, mentorship programs will be instituted at the local and state levels to sustain the legacies of the founding fathers of the game.

According to them, such a gesture would expose talented tennis players in Ogun State to modern-day technical and tactical strategies to stay above board in any of their national and international engagements particularly as Ogun State prepares to host the National Sports Festival.

Speaking further, they promised to remain useful towards the discovery and development of players as well as use their experiences to help the players achieve impartation of techniques and match place situations, which are crucial to developing players across all levels for local, state, national, and international engagements.

Certificates of participation were presented to all the coaches who participated during the workshop.

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