80-year-old Nigerian sports legend and front-line tennis promoter, Chris Enahoro, has passed away on Thursday morning in his Lagos home.
The veteran sports administrator who reputed to be the production line of today’s top tennis players, was the coordinator of the Chevron Tennis Masters.
When correspondents visited his Ajao Street residence, on Thursday, stream of visitors were seen paying their condolences to the former Nigerian cricket star, who went on to become the Chairman of the Nigeria Cricket Association.
Amidst weeping and sobbing, the awe-stricken sympathisers watched as Enahoro’s lifeless body was wheeled off by undertakers to an undisclosed location.
As news of his demise started filtering out, an eerie feeling enveloped the Nigerian tennis community, reeling from the shock and vacuum that his death has created.
Recounting the last moment of the deceased, his Personal Assistant, Razak Adedigba, said Enahoro was last attended to by his doctor on Wednesday
“When the doctor came on Wednesday, he attended to him and told him to rest. He later woke up in the evening to have his dinner and told me he was getting better.
“Early today, (yesterday), he woke up at 5.00 a.m. to visit the toilet on his own, after which he told me to help him to lie down on the floor. I switched on the fan for him, but he died around 6:30 a.m.”
In his tribute, President of the Nigeria Tennis Federation, Sani Ndanusa, said Enahoro represented the soul of Nigerian tennis.
“For us, he was more like the soul of Nigerian tennis because of his concentration on junior tennis development, which is the foundation of the game. “We have lost a very important person. It has shaken the tennis family to its foundation. We are shocked to the marrow. He was a genuine tennis developer, who had an open heart and open hand. He would be missed,” added Ndanusa.
He’s survived by two children, a man and a lady, who live in London, as well as his younger brother, Greg Enahoro.
