Victor Hemba outlines plan to turn Benue State into tennis hub

Victor Hemba has shared his strategy to establish Benue State as a major center for tennis in Nigeria. The former international player and current chairman of the Benue State Lawn Tennis Association aims to transform the state into a busy hub for the sport.

As part of this initiative, a maiden tennis camp named after Governor Hyacinth Allia commenced on Monday at the Aper Aku Stadium. The camp is scheduled to conclude with a mini-competition final on August 24th. Hemba, who represents the North-Central zone on the Nigerian Tennis Federation board, noted that the camp serves as a platform to identify new talent.

He emphasized the importance of sports as a significant global business and encouraged parents to allow their children to participate. The accompanying mini-competition is designed to provide mentorship from experienced coaches and resource persons. This mentorship aims to prevent young players from becoming complacent as local champions by preparing them for higher levels of competition.

Hemba is currently working to secure state government funding for more tennis programmes. His goal is to enable Makurdi to host major tournaments and attract international players to the state. He noted that since returning to Benue from Lagos in 2000, he has worked to build a strong team, which previously led to a gold medal at the National Sports Festival in Lagos.

While players have been groomed independently in the past, Hemba is seeking a formal partnership with the government to expand these efforts. Once this partnership is established, he intends to organize a tournament in Makurdi that will host all states within the North-Central zone.