Lagos State governor, Akinwunnmi Ambode has pledged more support for the annual Lagos Open Tennis Championship, which came to a pulsating end at the weekend, following two phases of frenetic action at Lagos Lawn Tennis Club, Onikan.
Although Akinwunmi has not been elected to contest for a second term by his party for next year’s elections, he was full of excitement and delight at the 2018 Lagos Open on Saturday, during which he also spoke about plans in the pipeline to float a lawn tennis academy.
Sports247.ng can further report that Ambode reckoned that having a tennis academy in the state would make the Lagos Open International Tennis Championship attract global attention.
Ambode spoke after taking part in a demonstration match, in which he played against Lagos Lawn Tennis Club’s captain..
Afterward, the governor further said government has held talks with Lagos State Lawn Tennis Association to open up an academy with state-of-the-art facilities that would attract world class players in future competitions.
Ambode said: “This is the beginning of the support that Lagos State will continue to give to Lagos Open.
“The whole idea is for us to be able to move away from this particular location and set up a Lawn Tennis Academy that can actually have an upgrade of a world class competition. They have actually spoken to us that we need to open an academy.
“What we have here on this ground is just seven courts, but if you want it to be globally attended and we want this Lagos Open to be globally competitive, we need an academy that would have like 16 courts and have other facilities to attract world class players.
“That is why Lagos State is ready to partner with the association and because we want the name Lagos on the world map, Lagos State Government has to support the idea of a lawn tennis academy and that is where we are going.
“I want to clearly say that I have enjoyed this particular tournament and I don’t think I have actually sat down somewhere for three hours in a long while.
“I want to congratulate the winners and also commend the officials and organisers and anytime anywhere, I would always come around because I am a lover of lawn tennis.”
