John Egbokhan
28 May 2008
Lagos — Former Chairman of the Anambra State Lawn Tennis Association, Chief Ben Ezeibe, has rounded up Toyin Dairo, for saying that today's players stand to lose everything if they play professional tennis in Nigeria.
Dairo, in an earlier interview with Sports Vanguard, had said inter alia that the future of the game was doomed to remain bleak, insisting that where the likes of Sule Ladipo, Jonathan Igbinovia and Rotimi Jegede could not make it, during their great days on court, then that today's top guns comprising Abdulmumuni Babalola, Lawal Shehu, Candy Idoko and Augustine Nwokedi should extinguish any though of making it through tennis.
But firing back swiftly Monday, Chief Ezeibe, a great tennis buff of immense knowledge, dismissed Dairo's claims as the ranting of a joker, who having failed to create a lasting impression on court, has now resorted into scaring others from aiming for the stars.
"I read what Dairo said and I feel that people, especially, players, should jettison all that he said because he is a joker and a loser, who having failed to do what was expected of him, has suddenly turned into a doomsday prophet.
"That Dairo failed to make it through tennis does not mean that others would not excel in the game and as I have always maintained in the past, a major thing that is missing in our player's game is the honest determination to excel. Our players are not hungry to make a name for themselves in tennis and that for me, remains the reason why the likes of Dairo fell by the wayside", added Chief Ezeibe, over the telephone line from Enugu.
Commenting on Dairo's claim that the uncooperative stance of sponsors was killing professional tennis in Nigeria, Chief Ezeibe begged to differ, insisting that players are the architect of their misfortune.
"Our players seem to forget that nobody wants to invest in a bad product because the bad product would end up affecting the fortunes of the company investing in it. So if they want sponsorship to come their way, they have to justify such by showing that they have potentials to improve.
"It is that simple and I urge them to attempt to be cool-headed and play good matches and before long, they will start attracting the desired sponsorship, after all, Jonathan Igbinovia, actually attracted sponsorship from a telecommunication firm and Lucky Igbinedion", added Chief Ezeibe.
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