LAGOS – Nasiru Mohammed, the Technical Director, Fives Federation of Nigeria (FFN), on Monday identified lack of facilities as a major challenge facing grassroots development of the game.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Fives is derived from the expression – a bunch of five (a fist).[pro_ad_display_adzone id=”10″]
It is also known as hand tennis.
According to Mohammed, athletes in the category are students, who need to train with adequate equipment and facilities to develop their skills.
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“Fives is an outdoor game, and schools should provide halls with boards, rackets and enough balls that coaches can use to train players,’’ he said.
He said that the facilities could be provided with the support of parents of players and school authorities.
“It is an opportunity for parents to contribute their quotas to the development of Fives in the country.
“This is important particularly at the grassroots; it will help to improve the skills of their wards,’’ he said.
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Mohammed noted that some Fives players were poorly dressed, adding that it did not promote the sport.
“The appearance of well-dressed athletes goes a long way in boosting their confidence to compete favourably with opponents,” he said.
He urged school authorities to organise suitable competitions where parents would be invited to watch their wards.[pro_ad_display_adzone id=”8″]
Mohammed said that such competitions would further encourage parents to be committed to the development of Fives. (NAN)
