NSC Chairman pledges support for Tennis sensation, Khadijat Mohammed

Posted : 02 January 2025

In line with the National Sports Commission's "catch-them-young" policy, the Commission has thrown its weight behind teenage tennis sensation Khadijat Eleojo Mohammed.

At just 15, Khadijat has proven to be the next big thing in Nigerian tennis. She became the first West or Central African player to win the ITF J30 World Tour.

Aged 14 in 2023, she was the first teenager to win the Dala Tennis, a title she retained this year. Way above her peers, she has even excelled professionally with back-to-back Dala Hard Court titles.

The challenge now is how to take the next step, considering the immense financial demands of professional tennis.

For this reason, her father and coach, Mohammed Ohinoyi, a certified ITF coach and former professional tennis player, appealed to the NSC for support.

They had helped her thus far with their limited resources and can no longer afford the demands of the next phase of her development.

Enter NSC Chairman Shehu Dikko. The Commission will ensure that Khadijat's full potential is realized.

His words: "I am quite impressed with what you have been able to do with your tennis career. No doubt, you deserve all the encouragement and support you can get.

"Even if you hadn’t come here, I am sure we would have found you along the way. I will make sure we support and help you become the best you can be.

"Obviously, the potential is there. For you to be winning big tournaments professionally at such a young age, the future is very bright. We will support you so that you don’t fall by the wayside.

"This is in line with our grassroots program. We are embarking on a vigorous exercise to discover younger talents to take over from the older athletes. We are doing this across all sports. And here you are. Be rest assured that we will carry you on our wings."

The Commission will shortlist her for their adopt-an-athlete initiative.

"We have the adopt-an-athlete program, so we will see how we can place you on a platform where the companies we are working with can come to support you, in addition to whatever support we can provide under our grassroots policy. We will assess you and see how we can include you in our program," he said.

Dikko has set his sights on Khadijat excelling at the Olympics someday.

"Tennis is also an Olympic sport. It is at this age that we can start nurturing the best tennis players to get us to the podium.

"With the right training, I believe that in two or three years, with the right roadmap, you should be aiming for the Olympics and other top competitions, and we will see how to take it from there.

"So we need to get more details about her training and plans," he added.

He continued, "I am happy that your dad is your coach. Most successful tennis players started with their dad as coach.

"We already have plans for grassroots development, elite development, and we will definitely try to reach you to see what we can do.

"We will liaise with the Nigeria Tennis Federation because whatever we do, we will align with the programs of the Federation and ensure they are part of what we are doing. We will push you as much as we can to take you to the next level."

The NSC Chairman immediately assigned an aide, Bar. Musa Amadu, to follow up on Khadijat and provide updates.

"Since you train at our facility here at the MKO Abiola Stadium, we will come to watch. Be assured that we will keep tabs on you.

"We will follow your progress in tournaments and circuits. You align perfectly with our vision to catch them young. We will be doing aggressive grassroots sports development as part of our overall vision, so you have come to the right place at the right time. We will ensure you are properly guided and your dreams activated," he added.

Dikko cautioned her against abandoning the country afterward.

"Be careful, it is not after we have pushed you up now, that tomorrow you will say you are representing another country. You may laugh now, but it's not funny. Not after we have done all the hard work, and tomorrow another country comes and reaps where they didn’t sow," he concluded.

Earlier, Amadu had emphasized the need to support Khadijat.

He said, "Nigeria has a potential tennis great here. I know the difficulties that players face when they turn professional and want to make a name for themselves on the circuit.

"Funding is the key problem here. Without sufficient funding, the player's natural talent will fizzle away.

"So many have fallen by the wayside because of improper funding. For a player like her to make the desired impact, we need to get her probably registered in an academy in Spain, because most players making the desired inroads are in academies in Spain, Germany, where she can train with other top players and develop.

"In Spain, they have all sorts of academies and clay courts, and she will be able to participate in ITF Junior tournaments and aspire to break into the Grand Slams.

"Competitions will help her develop appropriately. Without competitions, players become complacent and feel they are the best in the small spaces they occupy.

"It is heartwarming that at 15, she has already conquered Nigeria and has the potential to conquer Africa. But she needs to be properly supported to bring more honor to the country."

While appealing for the Commission's support, Ohinoyi said, "We, as her parents, have done our best; we can no longer take her beyond here. The rest is in the hands of the National Sports Commission. That is why we are here. We have come because we don’t have the capacity to continue with her."

Khadijat added, "If I am supported to get to the top, I will also like to lift others and help them make it in tennis. I want to be a source of inspiration to young tennis players in Nigeria."

NSC Chairman pledges support for Tennis sensation, Khadijat Mohammed

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