Fulani kids aspiring to be world tennis champions

The three kids, Suleiman Ibrahim, Awal Mohammed and Musa Mohammed, aged between eight and ten years are children of Fulani nomads, who resided at a village behind the tennis courts before its demolition last December by the FCDA officials. Following the demolition of their family house, the three kids who hail from Bauchi State now […]

The three kids, Suleiman Ibrahim, Awal Mohammed and Musa Mohammed, aged between eight and ten years are children of Fulani nomads, who resided at a village behind the tennis courts before its demolition last December by the FCDA officials.

Following the demolition of their family house, the three kids who hail from Bauchi State now live at the Games Village, which is a stone throw from the tennis courts.

They are pupils of LGEA Primary School Durumi, a walking distance from the Games Village.

Every evening, as they chase the tennis ball around the courts, with rackets in their hands, they have one thing in mind- to become world tennis champions by wining one of the major tennis tournaments like Wimbledon Open and US Open among others so as to be like their idols Novak Djokovic, Raphael Nadal, and Roger Federer.

Head Coach of the kids, John Oluwatobi Amore told SHOT! in a chat at the tennis court, that the kids who are learning fast would become world stars in future.

The coach who said he derived the joy of training kids on tennis from his former tennis Coach David Imonite, said  “I met these kids when they came to the stadium to fetch fire for domestic use in their houses, and that is about five years ago. When I asked them, they said they came to fetch fire wood, and I then tried to encourage them to take to the game and they succumbed, they believed in sports and they said they will come and they came and started playing tennis with me.

“So, that was how I got them and they were convinced that tennis will be good for them and will help them live a life away from the streets”, Coach Amore added.

The coach said, initially, he did not seek the consent of their parents before taking them for training until when he was to take them to a tournament outside Abuja.

He said after just five years of intense training and tutorials, the boys have started wining national events, with one of them in the junior national tennis team.

“My kids are already national champions and Musa Mohammed the best among them all is also a member of the national tennis team. He plays in the U- 12 team.

“I started when I met them at the ages of five and seven years but they are now national team materials, they still have a long way to go and I believe they can play at the top in the world”, Amore stated.

Suleiman Ibrahim, winner of last year’s U-10 Setraco Junior Tournament, the first to speak to our reporter said he is eight years and still in primary three, but he hopes to one day become a world tennis champion like his idol, Roger Federer.

“I am 8 years old primary three pupil at LGEA Primary School Durumi. I have been playing tennis for the past five years and I love tennis and I have been watching great players like Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Wilfred Tsonga.

“Among all of them, Roger Federer is my tennis idol. I am not playing tennis for leisure; I want to be a world tennis champion like Federer. I hope to one day win the US Open”, Suleiman said.

Ten year old Awal Mohammed also said his target is to win at least one major world tennis tournament like his model, Novak Djokovic who won this year’s Australian Open.

Though yet to win any trophy since he started playing tennis five years ago, Awal says he is working hard to ensure that he becomes a world number one tennis player.

“I have participated in many national tennis championships, including the one in Minna, Niger State where I lost in the quarter final of the U-12 category.

“I am 10 years old and in primary six at LGEA Primary School Durumi Abuja but I believe that if I work hard, one day I will be a world championship winner like some of the big players I have been watching like Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, and Tsonga.

For Musa Mohammed, who has two national titles to his credit, winning the world title and being ranked among the top ten players in the world is his ambition. “I am a pupil at the LGEA Primary School Durumi in Abuja and I am in primary five, but I have participated in a number of national competitions, and have already won two national events last year, Abuja Family and Friends Championship last December and another one in Benue. I also reached the semi-final of the tournament held in Ado Ekiti.

“I want to do better this year by wining more tournaments, and also want to be a top professional tennis player in the world. Rafael Nadal is my idol in the game, and I want to grow to be a world champion like him”, Musa stated.

Coach Amore said he is encouraged by the rising profile of the kids and the great promise that they hold. He said he is waiting patiently for when the kid tennis sensations would be crowned world champions.