By Maria Famakinwa
The Wife of Ondo State Governor, Arabinrin Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu has described Summer Tennis Clinic as a platform to nurture and develop young talents to excel within our region and on a global scale.
She said this at the opening ceremony of the 2023 Summer Tennis Clinic for children between ages 4-13 held at Recreation Club Sport Complex, Oke-Eda Akure.
The First Lady who was represented by SSA on Gender, Documentation and Research, Mrs Temitope Daniyan, said that looking back at the 2022 Tennis Clinic, we can proudly say that over 3,000 young individuals from the state’s three senatorial districts have benefited from the programme, which she said stand as a testament to the impact we can make when we come together with a shared vision.
Her words: “While we understand that this year’s edition may not cover all the zones as we had hoped, we remain committed to ensuring that something remarkable happens this summer for the children. We will focus on Ondo Central this year, with the intention of expanding to the South and North in the coming years. The enthusiasm and anticipation among the children and their families are truly inspiring, and we must continue to support and encourage their dreams.
“However, sustaining the vision of the Tennis Clinic requires financial and material support. I appeal to all well-meaning individuals to lend a helping hand in ensuring the continuity of this remarkable initiative. Together, we can create opportunities for our young ones to flourish and shine on a global stage.
“As we embark on this journey once again, let us remember that every child deserves a chance to explore their talents and interests. The Ondo State Summer Tennis Clinic aims to provide that chance. We have no doubt that we will soon witness great talents emerging from this program, representing our state and our country on international platforms.”
Earlier, in her welcome address, the Chairman of Ondo State summer tennis clinic 2023, Mrs Olamide Falana who also double as Special adviser on Gender to the Governor, appreciated Mrs Akeredolu for organizing free Summer Tennis Clinic for children of the State to excel and urged parents to encourage their children in tennis game by buying the needed tools for them.
Mrs Falana revealed that planning is ongoing to have tennis court across the 18 local government areas of the State to enable more children participate as she added that children across the world are becoming billionaires through the game of tennis. “I want to appeal to parents to ensure that the children are here on time and encourage them by buying needed tools for them so that they can practice and perfect the act of the game.”
The Chairman of the opening ceremony, Hon. Olumuyiwa Adu, lauded Mrs Akeredolu for her various projects which he noticed have been impacting the lives of young and old in the State. He said: “The First Lady is developing human capacity which is one of the greatest things anybody can do to help humanity. These children can never forget the effort of Mrs Akeredolu in years to come. So, I want to thank the First Lady for affecting lives positively.”
In his goodwill message, the State Commissioner for Youth and Sport, Otunba Dele Ologun commended Mrs Akeredolu and the organisers of the event for making this year’s edition of Summer Tennis Clinic a reality and urged every citizens of the State to support the continuity of the programme for the benefits of the children.
