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Controversy trails 46-year-old Oshonaike 7th Olympics appearance

By Femi Atolagbe

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Sports enthusiasts, coaches, Journalists have expressed different views over the appearance of the 46 -year- old, Funke Oshonaike as one of the Nigeria’s representatives at the on going Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
Oshonaike, a table tennis player has been representing Nigeria for the record of seventh time since 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.
The Nigerian lost to Juan Liu in her first game of her seventh appearance in the quadrennial sporting fiesta.
Oshonaike in an interview in Tokyo with Nigeria Olympic Committee after her defeat by Juan Lui, said “I don’t know what to feel right now because I did my best . I think Juan was better today ,that was why I lost.”
Some of the sports stakeholders who spoke under the condition of anonymity, hinged her inclusion in the Team Nigeria to the Tokyo Olympics on the politics playing out at the national level.
They said lots of young athletes abound who can do better than the 46years old athletes, she was defeated in 2018 National Sports Festival held in Abuja by a young lady.
“It’s high time for her to hang the bat and allow the youth to take the center stage, there is time for everything, diminishing return has started setting in.
“We have tired if seeing her face all the time , we need new face ,”they said
While some were of the view that she qualified to be in her seventh Olympics adding athletes qualify for Olympics and not selected like it happened in the local festival.
According to them, “to appear at the Olympics is the greatest honour an athlete can have. Only few people ever compete at the Olympics, to win a medal is only an extra.
“90-95% of athletes at the Olympics would not win a gold medal. So the medal isn’t the big deal.
“It is qualifying. There is a popular Olympic phrase about that.”
“They challenge the young athletes walk up to the expectation by challenge the statuquo.”
“There’s a Norwegian rower in this Olympics who’s also 46 years old. This is his 7th Olympics.
“If Oshinaike could go to the Olympics at 70. That’s because she qualified. But if the federal government must take such an oldie, there must be two youngsters for every of her kind, meaning the federal government must work and spend money to send the youngsters to tourneys where they can attain qualification ranks.
“Most of these youngsters, if not all, won’t win a medal at the first take but they would gain exposure and valuable experience.
“A country that values its youths and their future won’t mind such investment. For example, the USA has sent over 600 to Tokyo and would partake in all events except hockey and handball but does that mean they will win 600 medals or even half of that? No, but some of these athletes are being prepare to win in 2024 and 2028 when new prospects will also be part of the contingent.
“And who says anyone can’t win medals as first timers or young stars ? After all an Iranian nurse who started shooting with pistols in 2017 won gold today in Tokyo.”
The Global International Table Tennis ITTF rankings also confirm that Oshonaike is the second highest ranked Nigerian female table tennis player at the moment, and the fourth best in Africa.
There’s an Ojomu girl between Oshonaike and Fatima Bello on the rankings.
Ostana won an Olympic Gold at Barcelona 92, her first appearance and won no Olympic gold medal thereafter.
“Ostana had attended seven Olympic games, but unlike Oshonaike, she has attended one more eight ,since Barcelona 92 ,she crashed out in the first round too, but everyone is praising her, lets learn how to celebrate our heros”
“It is very ironical that sportsmen and career coaches are amongst those criticising one of their own. It should be rank outsiders who know little about Sports that should be doing this.”
“It is unfair, very unfair, for anyone to blame Oshonaike for losing to Lui, a Chinese-American very unfair.
“No Nigerian female table tennis player today would have beaten Lui. None. Not anyone coached by prayers either.”
“Nobody is blaming Oshonaike for losing to Lui , she has paid her due as a player, at the same time you can’t say Lui can’t be beaten , nobody can be a champion for ever , if you don’t beat a champion ,you can’t be a champion, young players should be given opportunity to represent Nigeria, Oshonaike has tried her best ,she has no business in this Olympics”.

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