The Onitsha Country Club Fegge, in the commercial capital of Anambra is set to establish a tennis academy with plans to make the place a talent hunt ground for future national and international champions .
Anietonwa Ajulufo, President of the club said this while playing host to members of Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), Anambra Chapter on Sunday.
Ajulufo who took SWAN members on tour of the Club said the academy would be for training of students, out of school youths about the game of tennis.
He said the initiative was part of the Club’s contribution to addressing the problem of out of school children and youths in Fegge and the entire Onitsha by giving talented ones among them the opportunity to get a career in tennis.
“We are collecting names of players, the search for a coach is ongoing, by January 2025 we should be able to start off,” he said.
Ajulufo said the club had been undergoing massive remodeling and rehabilitation since he took over as the President in March 2023 with the aim to bring the facility up to International standard.
He said some of the projects undertaken were renovation of the squash court, and upgrade of the indoor sports hall housing the gym, the snooker and table tennis which was completed and inaugurated by late Sen. Ifeanyi Ubah in July.
He said Country Club Onitsha would reach out to the Nigeria Tennis Federation and Nigeria Table Tennis Federation for possible staging of national competitions after the four tennis courts under reconstruction would have been completed in December.
“A lot of people don’t know this sports club exists here, that is the reason why I embarked on massive infrastructure development since we came on board.
”We have been able to get a functional 28 seater Coaster A/C bus after 20 years and also installed solar energy lights to manage high electricity bills.
“A lot of things you see we’ve done here, we did it within the past one year. It has been very stressful but considering the fact that I know where I am going, that is why I have been pushing, making sure we conclude everything within the next four months.
“We do not have a partnership with Anambra unless the three days they use here for the ongoing traders sports competition,” he said.
Ajulufo said that members of the club and their friends had invested between N80 million to N100 million in the last 18 months with over N100 millions still needed for completion of all ongoing projects including a 400 capacity pavilion and a mini football stadium for younger members of the club.
Chimezie Anaso, Chairman of SWAN in Anambra who commended the club leadership and members for their commitment to sports development said he looked forward to when members of the club would dominate tennis in Nigeria.
Anaso expressed readiness of the sports press in Anambra to support the club through media promotion of its activities.
The SWAN delegation included Ikem Asika, Vice President of SWAN in Southeast, Emmanuel Ndukuba, a former chairman of the chapter and Marvelous Ezenwa, an official in the State. (NAN)
