NSC yet to release budget for Nigeria vs Uzbekistan playoff
Three months after the country’s successful execution of the Davis Cup Division II qualifying contest against Uzbekistan, officials of the Nigeria Tennis Federation (NTF) have cried out over the National Sports Commission’s (NSC) alleged refusal to release funds budgeted for the playoff.

Nigeria defeated Uzbekistan 3-1 at the Lagos Lawn Tennis Club, Onikan, in February this year to qualify for the 2026 Davis Cup World Group II for the first time in nearly 30 years.

Nigeria’s team in the historic promotion playoff, led by Daniel Adeleye and Canice Abua, secured the victory, which moved the country up to 66th in the world rankings.

However, members of the Davis Cup Organising Committee are perplexed that after the feat in February, the NSC has not deemed it fit to release the funds earmarked for the event, adding that they went into contracts with some firms “to supply the materials we used for the playoff.”

A member of the committee, who pleaded anonymity, told The Guardian yesterday that they made entreaties to the NSC for the release of the money, but to no avail.

“Some of us, especially the president, Victor Ochei, spent our personal funds to ensure that Nigeria was successful in the contest.

“We promised our suppliers that we would settle all our obligations immediately after the playoff because we believed that the NSC would release the funds as promised by the director general, Bukola Olapade, who was at the venue during the playoff. This is very unfortunate because we took the NSC by its words.”

Attempts by The Guardian to reach NSC officials for their reactions to the claims by the Davis Cup committee proved abortive.

The NSC director general, Bukola Olapade, did not pick up several calls from The Guardian, just as he did not reply to the message sent to him through WhatsApp.