Sports development minister, Senator John Owan Enoh, has reached out to the father of Okpala Tanya, former Nigerian tennis sensation whose video went viral recently revealing the lamentable state of the star athlete who represented Nigeria in the 1990s.The minister, according to a press statement by his SA media, Diana-Mary Nsan, contacted Tanya’s father who briefed him on her current condition and the genesis of her problem.
The statement said Tanya also confirmed to the Minister that the Nigerian Tennis Federation paid for Tanya’s first rehabilitation many years ago when her condition became public knowledge but sadly the former tennis star relapsed after a short while.Okpala Tanya was once a tennis player of repute who has played in a lot of tennis tournaments. She represented Nigeria and the African continent and won laurels to her name.
Senator Enoh while commending the Anambra State governor, Prof Charles Soludo, for swinging into immediate action to remove the former tennis star from the streets, reiterated the federal government commitment through the Ministry of Sports Development to athletes welfare.
‘Let me thank the Governor of Anambra State, Charles Soludo and his team for the swift intervention in the case of Tanya Okpala.This is highly commendable. “As a Ministry, our six point agenda WAIFAR , has the W for activating and enabling a WELFARE system that caters to serving and retired athletes. As a ministry, we will take action in this regard as every athlete who has brought glory to our nation deserves appropriate welfare,” Senator Enoh said.