Olufemi Yakubu, a national senior men’s FIVES player, on Friday urged the Federal Ministry of Youths and Sports to refurbish the lone decrepit FIVES court in Lagos, so as to improve on the fortunes of the game the southern part of the country..
He said in Lagos, that a refurbishment of the facility would help the FIVES Federation of Nigeria (FFN) to improve on the country’s World ranking, which currently was abysmal.
He said that such an assistance had become necessary for the federation to be in a position to stage regular national and international competitions. This would would also improve the performances of players.
Yakubu said if such steps were taken, he was optimistic that the sport would bounce back to reckoning. “we need the Government to help to undertake to refurbish our facility because the only one located at the National Stadium, Lagos was in sorry state.
“All we need is for the Government to come in and help us with improved funding to to repair the facility. Government can also undertake to do it directly and handover to the federation.
“Imagine, we have only one playing court in the whole of Lagos at the stadium, and it is in bad shape”.
The player expressed regrets that poor state of the facility had contributed to low growth of the sport, especially in the southern parts of the country.
Yakubu, however, noted that the country stood better chances of winning competitions if facilities were improved.
He added that the quality of players in the country was capable of winning at major competitions.
FIVES is a British sport, introduced in the country by the colonial masters. It is played with tennis ball against a wall.
It is played in a court that looks more like the squash rackets, except that it is played with bare hands. The sport is popular in the northern parts — Zaria, Kaduna, Kano and Katsina — but dominated by the royalties.
