TELL Magazine

Nigerian Table Tennis queen, Funke Oshonaike, is an unhappy woman today. The source of her sadness has to do with a tourney Nigeria failed to participate in. Just over a month ago, Oshonaike, a German-based star,  launched a table tennis clinic and competition in Lagos which saw a number of young Nigerian Table Tennis stars square up against each other. The tournament was meant to offer such promising talents a platform to showcase their skills and put them in a competitive mood to effectively compete against their peers wherever. One such competition where they could have done so was the African Junior and Cadet Table Tennis Championship scheduled to begin tomorrow  in Tunisia but they could not, as the players failed to travel for the event as revealed by Oshonaike on her Facebook post today which begins with the words “My heart is broken again,” followed by an icon showing her unpleasant mood. She then goes on to explain why she organized the Lagos tennis championship through her foundation, Funke Oshonaike Table Tennis Foundation but how the aim now appears to have been defeated.

” I invited about 30 talented players in Nigeria for 10 days clinic/competition, competition .and with the help of frot foundation, 2 of my best friends and my hard earned money I was able to accommodate, feed and clothe all of them for the 7 days clinic. I had the best time of my life because I used to be like them and I loved them all. The winners of my 3 days competition went home with prize money and a lot of gifts and I spent about a million naira competition.Some of the kids are now supposed to be in Tunisia for Africa junior championship starting from tomorrow but I just received so many calls from the players that they cannot go again because the ministry as usual with there fire brigade approach couldn’t give the funds on time and as I  am writing this post they are on their way back home because all the flights to Tunis are fully booked,” she wrote, adding “I got tired of complaining that was why I left my job, family to come and give hope and smile to the talented kids in Nigeria but why is it so hard for Nigeria to make the dream of all this children come true? Don’t they know that this children are our future? Why are some people killing talents and the future of our young ones in Nigeria? Above all why am I not a multi millionaire so that i can be able to take care of this future champions more without waiting for any ministry? For how long will Nigeria keep breaking my heart because of my love for my country? I’m totally hurt and heart broken again.”