By Aderonke Ojo
The NSC elections covered 18 sports federations, including taekwondo, hockey, deaf sports, tennis, scrabble, aquatics, shooting, golf, handball, rugby, fives, chess, wrestling, squash, traditional sports, wushu-kungfu, boxing, and karate
The election, held on Saturday at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja (Package B), was conducted in an atmosphere of transparency, peace, and broad participation.
Rt Honourable Victor Ochei has been elected as the new President of the Nigerian Tennis Federation (NTF), set to lead the body for the next four years.
Ochei emerged victorious with 11 votes, while Mr. Datti was elected unopposed as Vice President.
In his post-election remarks, Rt Hon Ochei expressed deep gratitude to his supporters and stakeholders for their trust and commitment throughout the process.
“First and foremost, to the glory of God, it was an election where we all campaigned and we all won together,” Ochei said. “It’s a clear demonstration that the Federation is one body.
Regardless of the fact that there’s a winner, for me there’s no victor, no vanquished. We are all coming together to work for tennis. Our goal is to uplift the sport in Nigeria and make tennis one of the disciplines everyone holds in high esteem.”
He emphasized that while the election process was important, the real task lies in driving development within the sport.
“Every process that led to this point may not be necessary to dwell on,” he noted. “What’s important is what we do going forward. Working together, by God’s grace, we’ll activate the entire tennis ecosystem.
“ Everyone has something to contribute, and our focus is to bring all efforts to the optimal level so that no constituency within the Federation is left behind.”
Ochei also outlined his vision for restructuring and revitalizing the Federation.
“We intend to dismantle the existing structure, repackage it, and ensure seamless operation across every organ of the Federation,” he stated. “When we bring in the right influence, sponsorships, and funding, and create career paths for players and coaches, you’ll begin to see the difference. The changes will be visible in the short term — that’s a promise.”
With his election, stakeholders are hopeful that the Nigerian Tennis Federation will experience renewed energy, improved organization, and a stronger pathway for both professional and grassroots tennis development.