According to the sage, dreams only come true when you work hard to make it happen. Nothing happens by chance. And such is Michael Osewa’s belief that he is walking the path that would take him to the same height achieved by his idol, world number one tennis player, Novak Djokovic.

Still, in his teens, Osewa won the boys’ singles title at the just concluded Chevron Junior Masters Tennis Championship, where he beat Augustine Stephen to take the laurel.

The victory on the centre court of the Lagos Lawn Tennis Club, Onikan, was his first success in the country’s number one junior tournament. It was also his first defeat of Stephen, who, hitherto, had beaten him in all their encounters.
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Osewa is one of the emerging lights in Nigerian tennis being honed at the NNPC/Chevron programme, where young school children are given the opportunity to develop their tennis skills.

According to Chevron officials, the objective of the Junior Masters Tennis Tournament is to engage the youths, particularly during the holiday period to develop their tennis skills and get the opportunity to participate in  tournaments. The programme targets mostly young tennis champions from the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

Under the guidance of former Nigerian all-round international athlete, cricketer and administrator, Chris Enahoro, the NNPC/Chevron programme, which commenced 17 years ago, has thrown up such emerging stars as Oyinlomo Quadri, Angel Mcleod, Marylove Edwards and Sikiru Alalade.

These players, still in their teens, have started repositioning Nigeria as a force in African tennis.

Recently, they brought honour to the country at the International Tennis Federation Under-18 West/Central Africa Junior Tennis Championship, where Oyinlomo Quadri emerged the best player.

The performance of the quartet gave Nigeria the top position on the tournament’s medal table ahead of France, Egypt, USA and Cote d’Ivoire. But Osewa is not resting on his oars. The Chevron Junior Masters champion believes that if he continued working hard under some of the best junior coaches in the country, who work in the programme, he would become the first Nigerian player since Nduka Odizor to make his mark at the main ITF circuit.

Speaking to The Guardian after collecting his rewards for his victory from Chevron officials and members of the Nigerian tennis community, Osewa was emphatic in his belief that “I see myself becoming a great player like Novak Djokovic.”