By Amaechi Agbo
The renewed focus on sports under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has continued to yield visible results, with Nigeria hosting the Davis Cup for the first time in 19 years, a milestone that underscores growing confidence in the country’s sports administration, according to the Director General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Hon. Bukola Olopade.
Speaking on the sidelines of the Davis Cup World Group II Playoffs tie between Nigeria and Uzbekistan at the Lagos Lawn Tennis Club, NSC DG praised President Tinubu for his commitment to sports growth through policy direction, administration, and funding.
“We thank President Bola Tinubu for acknowledging the fact that something new is happening in our sports (Presidential press release). It is also about the personal interest he has shown in sports, expressed through administration and funding,” Hon. Olopade said.
Highlighting the NSC’s broader vision, the Director General emphasized inclusivity and structural reforms across the sports ecosystem. “Nigerian youths ply their trade in over 50 sports, and our initiative at the NSC is to support all sports. We are glad to be hosting the Davis Cup after 19 years. We have opened leadership at sports federations to men and women of timber and calibre to push our sports to global standards. This is what Victor Ochei is doing with tennis, and we thank him for bringing this competition to Nigeria,” he added.
On the court, Uzbekistan made a good start to the tie, taking an early lead after Khumoyun Sultanov defeated Nigeria’s Canice Abua in the opening singles match on Saturday. Sultanov delivered a composed performance to secure a straight-sets 6–3, 6–4 victory, putting the visitors ahead and applying early pressure on the hosts in front of their home supporters.
Despite the setback, Olopade remained optimistic about Nigeria’s chances. “Our gap with Uzbekistan is very narrow, contrary to what a lot of people thought. Even their number one player struggled against his Nigerian opponent. We will keep our fingers crossed for the second game,” he said.
The Davis Cup tie marks another important chapter in Nigeria’s renewed push toward international competitiveness, reflecting the Tinubu administration’s broader agenda of using sports as a platform for youth development, national pride, and global engagement.
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