The Nigerian Communications Commission’s support for sports development, particularly the popular NCC-sponsored youth tennis championship, dominated discussions at the weekend launch of a book on sports in Nigeria in Lagos.
The Commission was recognized as a patriotic corporate institution that has supported sports in Nigeria at the grassroots at the launch of the book titled “Sport in Nigeria: Going Round in Circles,” authored by Sports Administrator, Godwin Kienka, at the Lagos Lawn Tennis Club, Race Course, Onikan, Lagos, where the Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta, was the Guest of Honour.
A cross-section of sports administrators and tennis fans urged the Commission not to give up on supporting sports in Nigeria for the purpose of empowering Nigerian youths, as it has done with the sponsorship of tennis across the six geopolitical zones.
Godwin Kienka, the book’s author, acknowledged that the Commission’s sponsorship since 2015 has set the tone for the development of Nigerian youths for future careers in lawn tennis.
“I’d like to thank the NCC for setting a shining example in recent years for other private and public sector stakeholders and institutions to follow.” “We thank Prof. Umar Danbatta, Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, for continuing the sponsorship when he took office in 2015, and for his outstanding contribution to youth and sports development in Nigeria in general,” Kienka said.
Between 2015 and 2016, the NCC sponsored lawn tennis tournaments, which rekindled interest in and re-defined tennis competition in Nigeria due to the revitalization it brought to the country’s tennis development.
Part of NCC’s motivation for organizing the tournament was to assist in nurturing and exploring the talents of Nigerian youth through vigorous competition in order to help them perfect their skills. It was also intended to foster peace and friendship among the players, as well as to establish pan-Nigeria solidarity of sports enthusiasts.
The tournament, which included marches in various parts of the country such as Lagos, Port Harcourt, Asaba, Onitsha, Abeokuta, Kaduna, Abuja, and Enugu, also aimed to engage players, officials, and the youth population in some value-driven activities associated with sports competition in general.
