The Nigeria Tennis Federation (NTF) has apologised to DavNotch Nigeria Limited, following the disruption of matches at the ongoing sixth edition of the DavNotch Open Tennis Championship in Abuja, while warning players against what it described as unlawful methods of making demands during national tournaments.
Key Highlights:
- NTF apologised to DavNotch after players disrupted the tennis championship.
- Players protested over prize money, welfare and deductions.
- NTF warned athletes against using boycotts to press demands.
- The federation pledged more focus on grassroots and junior tennis development.
Speaking after Monday’s protest, the Secretary-General of the Nigeria Tennis Federation, Shama Makpa, expressed regret over the incident, describing it as a violation of the federation’s code of conduct and an unfortunate development for one of Nigeria’s most prestigious tennis competitions.
“First of all, I want to apologise to DavNotch Nigeria Limited on behalf of the Nigeria Tennis Federation,” Mwapa said.
“The DavNotch Open is one of the top-rated championships in this country and has been successfully organised for the past six years.
“It is unfortunate that we are witnessing this kind of experience and disregard for the rules and code of conduct.”
The championship was temporarily disrupted after a group of players protested over alleged prize money, welfare allowances and deductions made from players’ earnings.
The athletes argued that the financial rewards offered at both the DavNotch and VEMP Open Championships no longer reflect the increasing cost of competing on the national circuit.
According to Makpa, while players have every right to seek improvements in tournament conditions, they must do so through established procedures rather than refusing to participate in scheduled matches.
“Players are free to request a review. There is nothing wrong with asking for better conditions, but whatever they request must be within the rules governing the competition,” he said.
He explained that the subsidy provided to players during tournaments is entirely at the discretion of the federation and is meant to ease some of the financial burdens associated with participation.
“This is a prize-money tournament. From the first round to the champion, prize money is paid. The subsidy the federation provides is only to cushion certain challenges, such as feeding and other tournament-related expenses,” he stated.
Makpa also defended the federation’s practice of deducting a percentage from prize money, saying it is a globally accepted procedure in professional tennis.
“Players demanded that the federation abolish the deduction made from prize money. This is a standard practice in tennis.
“Even on the ATP Tour, a certain percentage is deducted and paid to the organisers or federation. It is not something peculiar to Nigeria,” he explained.
The NTF secretary-general, however, criticised the decision by some players to boycott matches until their demands were met, describing the action as unacceptable.
“It is one thing to make a request, but it is another to impose conditions and insist that you will not step onto the court unless your demands are granted.
“We are not going to continue experiencing this kind of rascality,” he said.
He disclosed that the federation would intensify its investment in grassroots and junior tennis development, adding that greater emphasis would now be placed on nurturing young talents.
“We want to focus more on our developmental programmes and give greater attention to junior players because that is where the future of Nigerian tennis lies,” he added.
Despite the disruption, the NTF secretary general expressed confidence that the incident would not damage the federation’s long-standing relationship with DavNotch Nigeria Limited.
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“I don’t think this will affect our relationship with the sponsor. They understand what happened, and we have apologised to them,” he said.
He revealed that discussions with DavNotch had already begun on directing more resources towards grassroots tennis development.
“The DavNotch Championship is unique because it combines junior, senior and wheelchair events under one tournament.
“Going forward, we have agreed with the sponsor that greater attention will be given to grassroots and junior tennis development,” Mwapa said.
Monday’s protest came after players insisted that earlier promises by tournament organisers to improve prize money and welfare packages had yet to materialise, leading to growing frustration among competitors.
Although federation officials and tournament organisers engaged player representatives in discussions aimed at resolving the impasse, no official announcement had been made on whether adjustments would be made to the prize structure.
The incident has once again reignited conversations about athlete welfare in Nigerian tennis, with stakeholders warning that persistent financial concerns could discourage participation and slow the development of the sport across the country.
