Ganiyu, Kasali win South West beginners’ tennis clinic

Fatimah Ganiyu and Adeyemi Kasali have emerged winners of the female and male categories respectively of the Sixth Beginners’ Tennis Vacation Clinic held at Obafemi Awolowo Stadium, Ibadan over the weekend.

The tennis clinic, organised for beginners from ages five to 12 by the South-West Zone of the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports, was supported Kayrom Lee Fitness and Gym Center.

While addressing the participants during the closing event of the clinic, the Zonal Coordinator, South-West Zone of the Federal Ministry of Youths and Sports, Dr. Steve Olarinoye, said he initiated the training programme in 2010 to discover talents among the school pupils.

“The essence of the clinic is to discover new talents and groom them. We have achieved a lot in the last six years.

“Majority of the children discovered from this clinic are now playing for states in the south-west, including Oyo State,” he said.

Olarinoye said that Obafemi Awolowo Tennis Academy, which is manned by sports’ experts, existed at the stadium to groom discovered talents, saying the academy exposes them to eight different competitions.

Also speaking at the event, Kayrom Lee boss, Mrs. Romoke Ayinde, who has been supporting the programme from its inception by providing snacks and various gift items to the kids, called for such catch them young initiatives in some other sports.

She said the country could from such initiatives discover its Serena Williams and Andy Murray at the tender stage and nurtured to fly the nation’s flag at the international level.