By Favour Goodness
Team Nigeria shot into reckoning when two of her athletes, Segun Toriola and Funke Oshonaike entered into history book( Club 7) as rare athletes to have competed seven times at the Olympics.
Standing taller in the exclusive club dominated by men was Funke Oshonaike who not only becomes the first Nigerian, but also the first African and indeed the first woman in the world to compete at seven Olympic Games.
Her induction yesterday wiped out her tears suffered on the green table in her first historic Games when she was flatly beaten by a Chinese-American.
Out of the six awardees, Team Nigeria stood elegantly with a male and a female, an achievement only Nigeria has recorded.
“I hope this award for me and country will brighten the hearts of Nigerians. I am happy and thanks to Nigeria and this hardworking Sports Minister Sunday Dare”, Funke said.
Her compatriot Segun Toriola also thanked Nigeria for the great opportunities.
For Funke Oshonaike, it’s been a long road right from Atlanta to Sydney and Athens, Beijing and Rio before bowing out here gracefully as a worthy legend.
It would be recalled that Toriola, Oshonaike frighten opponents as table tennis gets ready to dazzle crowd at the London 2012.
The two Nigerian Ping-Pongers were coming on board then with their intimidating records.
