President of Nigeria Tennis Federation, Ifedayo Akindoju, said team Nigeria tennis players have potential to excel in the 2024 Davis Cup Africa Group III qualifying rounds scheduled for Abuja.
Mr Akindoju stated this while addressing journalists on Saturday in Abuja.
The competition will commence from July 15 to 20 at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja.
According to him, Nigeria has a growing tennis talent pool and with dedication and hard work, they can compete effectively against other teams.
He said, “It’s essential to believe in their abilities and encourage them to reach their full potential.’’
He said that Team Nigeria has five experienced players such as Christopher Bulus, Wilson Igbinovia, Uche Oparaojie, and newly invited players Michael Emmanuel, and Daniel Adeleye to represent the country.
He stated, “The federation has surrounded the players with teammates, coaches and mentors who believe in them.’’
He said that the Davis Cup is a prestigious international team competition in tennis, often referred to as the “World Cup of Tennis.
“It’s a premier event where national teams from around the globe compete in a knockout format, showcasing their skills and teamwork,’’ he added.
The president said that during the championship, there wouldn’t be any formal draws.
“Each team will play a round robin format with the other teams. There will be two singles and a doubles match format for each team’s five matches. At the end of the day, the ranking will be released based on each team’s performance, and the top three teams will advance to the next stage. While the bottom two teams will be relegated and one team will remain in group III,” he said.
He said that Nigeria is hosting the African group III qualifications, and the factsheet is available in Abuja.
Mr Ifedayo said that there were six teams taking part in the competition.
He said that host Nigeria would compete with Benin Republic, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Cote d’ivoire and Ghana at the championship.
The president said that regarding security, the ITF has methods for verifying security before allowing a nation to host the tournament.
He stated, “We have worked hard, primarily protecting the locations, providing accommodation for the participants, and imposing some restrictions to limit people’s freedom of movement. We are making sure that there will be no problems with either property or lives during or after the championship.’’
He added that the federation budgeted roughly N100 million for the championship.
“We have received grants from the ITF for a portion of it, and we are also sourcing it locally from our sponsors,” he said.
The top three teams in the Africa zone of the 2024 Davis Cup will be promoted to the 2025 World Group II play-offs.
While the winners will be promoted to 2025 Davis Cup World Group II play-offs, losers will be relegated to 2025 Africa Zone Group IV.