28th October, 2010
Raspin I is a Nigerian player based in the United States of America. He told SUNDAY AKINTOYE how he feels missing the 10th Governor’s Cup Lagos Tennis Championship due to injury.
We have not seen you playing in this year’s Governor’s Cup. What really heappened?
Few days to the tournament, I suffered an injury on my left shoulder. After using drugs and the pain persisted, the doctor advised that I give myself a rest from tennis for now.
How do you feel missing out in the competition this year?
It is painful that I missed this year’s edition of the Governor’s Cup. My fans are not happy for not seeing me in action.
You have watched Nigerian players in the ongoing competition, what is your impression about their performance?
They really tried their best, but need to do more. We cannot blame Nigerian players for their average performance, if the government and private companies can support them, the game of tennis in this country will be better for it. I’ve the believe that the local players can go far in this tournament.
Who among the Nigerian players have impressed you?
Let me say Clifford Enosoregbe impressed me a lot. The player defeated the number 3 seed of the tournament, Amir Weintraub of Israel. This shows that our players can perform well if the authorities give them enough support.
You did not play very well last year in the Governor’s Cup?
It is true that I didn’t play well. But there were many factors that contributed to that. The weather affected me. I also had diarrhea because of the food I ate throughout my stay in Nigeria.
So how do you see the future of Nigerian tennis?
The future of Nigerian tennis is very bright. Our local players need the necessary support to succeed in their careers.
