{NEWS ZONE} ~ I WON’T ALLOW MY KIDS TO REPRESENT NIGERIA – OSHONAIKE

Recently you posted on Facebook about your challenges in life and your resolve not to quit despite the odds. What has kept you going?

I was very sad recently in Kenya ( African Top 16 championship ) about the ( sports ) ministry ’ s lack of support for table tennis in Nigeria . I was not happy that the ministry dropped the female team from going to the 2018 Commonwealth Games . I allowed it and some other factors to affect me in Kenya and I lost in the quarter -finals ; I came fifth for the very first time. After the competition, I started receiving messages from some table tennis players and friends on Facebook. They said me and Segun ( Toriola) are the ones hindering the growth of table tennis in Nigeria because we ’ ve not retired. They were so much on my case and I was actually thinking of giving up. After three days of locking myself up at home without communicating with anybody, I decided to fight them back by telling the world very little about me ; just to let them know that I ’ m stronger than these people because my life is my decision . My motivation is that I still love what I ’ m doing and I ’ m still good with what I ’ m doing despite the lack of encouragement from Nigeria . But my family is supporting me 100 per cent .

In other parts of the world , experienced players like you and Segun are supposed to help build younger players up . Apart from Aruna Quadri, do you think other players have attained the level expected of them ?

Some Nigerians don’ t know that I ’ m doing my best and that’ s why I have the Funke Oshonaike Foundation. I did a clinic/competition for our talents in Nigeria last year . Honestly , we have a lot of good players. We have many Arunas but they are wasting away because of lack of competition or the usual lack of funds story. There’ s Jide Omotayo that’ s trying hard to be like Aruna but he ’ s spending his own money at a young age like that to go for most tours . I don’ t know how long he can do that without the support of Nigeria or sponsors . God has been good to me through it all . What’ s happening now is beyond me . Nothing works and I just hope sports will not die permanently in Nigeria . I hope it can be the way it’ s used to be. We were not all rich in the past but happy somehow and contented .

A shocking revelation from you is that the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation hasn’ t rewarded you for a long time despite your sacrifices for the country . What ’ s your relationship with the NTTF ?

I don’ t have any problem with the NTTF. ( Enitan) Oshodi helped me when he was the president . He believed so much in me and that brought out the best in me. He wanted to do more but he spent too much of his personal money. As for allowances, we only collect allowances during games . Before and after games , there are no allowances because we don’ t even get funds before going for competitions . Nigeria has not rewarded us , not to talk of NTTF.

Back then , all the state commissions were working . We had four good coaches in Lagos State then . Now , we don’ t even have one. All the coaches in different states were very good and ready to give their best . The National Stadium , Lagos , was only for the best athletes but now every Dick and Harry goes there . We were having competitions almost every month but now we hardly have two in a year. There were primary and secondary school competitions in Lagos and other parts of the country . We were given awards for winning medals, now none. We were in camp for almost a year for the African games or the Olympics , now we are hardly in camp for a month. We go for all international competitions with funds available and the only thing we had to think about was to play well but now we worry about funds and allowances and we are unable to give our best . In fact , I ’ m sad right now .

I won ’ t allow my kids to represent Nigeria of today. But if they want to , I won ’ t stop them .