Nigeria’s Table Tennis queen, Funke Oshonaike savours the joy of marriage


HUMBLE  BEGINNING
Life was normal  for me as a kid, I come from a decent family where you are always encouraged to be succesful in life.     I’m the third in a family of ten. My parents, Olujuwon and Olayinka Oshonaike are from Agbowa Ikosi in Ogun State.
I was born and bred in Shomolu,Lagos State.I attended a primary school in Shomolu and my secondary education was at  Igbobi Girls High School. I also  attended University of Lagos where I obtained a diploma in physical and health education.
Life as a youngster was challenging  but often times I sneaked out then to play table tennis to avoid house chores.It was also fun for me as I was not only good at table tennis but also in football and athletics. For us then, it was football, table tennis, athletics and other sports.
We just did it for fun, boys and girls coming together to engage in all sorts of sports.I was always hanging out with boys and most people saw me as a tomboy.

WHY I TOOK TO TABLE TENNIS
Playing table tennis has been part of me right from when I was young. Then it was football and table tennis.You know in an environment where you have lots of guys around, you tend to try yourself in so many sports. Then we used to play  table tennis on the dinning table or any table that we had around.Later we moved to pavements, any thing that was just convenient for us to play the game.Shomolu was just an interesting place to live.
I remember there was also one guy that owned a table tennis board in my street then which also helped me hone my skills. He used to collect money from us before we could play. It was just fun, boys and girls coming together to play table tennis.I never knew than that the game would later make me a star in life.
There was never a day that we didn’t play tennis then.It was on one of those occasions that somebody saw me and took me to the Rowe Park training centre. That was how I began my journey into the world of professional table tennis.
My father also encouraged me to go into table tennis as against athletics which I was also good at. He knew that I was into athletics in my Secondary school, but he felt my real talent was in table tennis. Looking back now, I thank God that I took his advice.

CHALLENGES
Challenges? I don’t think there were too many of them back then.Things were okay at that time even though I was not from a very rich family but I have a very understanding father who gave me everything I needed to make it to the top. He knew I wanted to continue  playing table tennis and provided all I needed which was an added incentive for me.
I won the Lagos State All Secondary Schools Championship back then, which enabled me gain a scholarship to the university. Everything was just going smoothly then for me.All I had in mind  then was table tennis. Playing against my rivals and moving on from one level to another because we had many competitions and money was flowing in. Not like today when the scene is dry.
You know when you are engaged in one activity or the other,you don’think about the challenges of life.True the challenges are there, but what you see is the bigger picture of life. A picture of a better tomorrow. Table tennis afforded me the opportunity of making money very early in life and so I gave my all to succeed in the game. It was an escape from poverty for me
I also believe once you have the support of your parents in anything you are doing in life,everything becomes so easy for you.My dad and mom were solidily behind me ,I was specially blessed by God with  the talent to play table tennis, so it was just good for me.

RIVALRY WITH BIOLA ODUMOSU
Playing against Biola was fun. But the only thing that I didn’t enjoy then was the behavior of her fans towards me. You know Biola had so many supporters who always wanted her to win no matter who she was playing against and they were always against me.
Any time I played against her and I emerged victorious,there was always a problem.Going home was always difficult because they always wanted to fight me,they just loved her so much.But all the same, it was fun all the way then even though it was tough playing against her.
I was always afraid to take her on because of her fans but that never stopped me from giving my best each time I played against her.That is what makes me who I am today. Nothing bothers me to the extent that I would say it is all over.
I realised that to be the best,you have to be ready to not only compete against the best, you must give whatever you have to beat them.

MEMORABLE MOMENTS
My memorable moments, aaah!I have so many memorable moments but the one I cherish most was the 2003 All Africa Games in Abuja  where I won four gold medals.What makes it so special was the fact that I performed the feat few months after I gave birth to my first child, Divine.That was the best,best ,best ,best, best moment of my life.
Apart from that, the first time I won the African Championship in 1992 was also special. I have represented  Nigeria in so many competitions, the All Africa Games, Commonwealth Games ,the Olympic Games  and enjoyed competing against those athletes from other parts of the world.
I also have so much joy in winning medals in those competitions,bringing smiles to the faces of those Nigerians who always take delightin seeing us do well in competitions.But I like I said earlier, winning four gold medals at the All Africa Games here in Nigeria is the highest point of my career.

LOW MOMENTS
I think that should be 2010 when I came down for the Commonwealth Games trials. I didn’t go to the Commonwealth Games because of the misunderstanding I had with the federation.  I couldn’t participate in the trials because I was not feeling too well,so, I was dropped from the table tennis team. That made me feel so sad.
Some people were saying a lot of negative things about me and I nearly quit playing for the country, but my family stood by me  encouraging me to forget that episode. I felt really, really bad then.

PROFFESSIONAL CAREER
After representing Lagos State locally participating in many local competitions,I moved to Italy in 1994 to play professional table tennis. I spent two years in Siracusa,I later moved to Cagliari where I also spent two years.
But because I love adventure,I left Italy for Hamburg ,Germany in 1998 where I have since been playing for a club named SC Poppenbuttel Hamburg.

TABLE TENNIS & MOTHERHOOD
It’s not been easy.  Motherhood is very interesting and I am enjoying every bit of it. I would say it’s  been very  difficult because sometimes I have to train and get a baby sitter, to make sure my baby is okay. I also have to make sure my husband is okay as well. It’s just the hardwork and talents that have kept me going.
If not for that, I would have stopped playing table tennis. I must also thank God for giving me a wonderful and caring husband. You know it is not just easy. Taking care of the home, going to train and participate in league matches.
Then there are times I have to come too to play in trial matches and I have to bring my kids down to Nigeria. But you know in life, you have to be ready for all challenges that come your way. If you take those things as difficult, that is the way it will be to you. But if you take it as fun, you will overcome it.
I’m a wife, a mother and at the same time a  career woman, I just have to live with it. It’S just fun to me. Sometimes it is hard, but it is also interesting.If I may tell you,I’m really enjoying it because I have accepted it.

THE HOME FRONT
I am a very lucky woman. You know I don’t have this wahala from all these mothers-in-law, fathers-in-law, sisters and brothers despite the fact that I am married to someone who is from another tribe. My husband is fom Benin, Edo State and I must say I am really lucky to have him. Today we have two kids and it’s been wonderful.
Okay, marriage is not a bed of roses. It’s certain that you have some good times and bad times but if you ask me, I will tell you that I will never go back to single life.I enjoy the life I’m living now with my husband and children more than when I was still single.
One thing about relationship is  that there must be true love.It’s because I and my husband love and appreciate each other that we have been able to live happily despite the fact that we are not from the same tribe.
And I’m not a bad cook.My husband enjoys my cooking,he likes Amala a lot, any time we travel down to Nigeria, he always stays in Lagos.I’ve also introduced him to Ila [Okro Soup] ,some Yoruba delicacies and he is enjoying it. He does not have a problem with my cooking.My marriage is super, I will not lie to you,I’m enjoying every bit of it.

MY OTHER VOCATIONS
Aside being a professional table tennis player,I am also a trained cosmetologist and make up artist.I used to have a shop but I closed it to concentrate on my family and table tennis.
One cannot be jack of all trades.It’s not good combining a lot of things together at the same time.I closed the shop when I had my second child.It was really challenging but I was brought up to face those kinds of hard times.

FUTURE PLANS
After retiring from table tennis like I keep on telling people,I would like to train somebody to be like me. I want to actually give back everything I learnt in the game.Nothing is really going on in Nigeria as far as the game is concerned and becoming a coach will not be a bad idea.Table tennis has been part of me right from when I was young and it will be difficult to quit the sport.A lot  of people have been advising me to divert to other things but you can’t do what you don’t like,you will simply not enjoy something you don’t have passion for.
So,once I quit the game,I will go into coaching. My aim is to raise champions for Nigeria,players that would continue where the old generation stopped .That is very important for me.

LONDON 2012 TARGET
The Olympic games is for the best athletes in the world.For me,the first target is to be there and be a good Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. You can say the reason for competing is to win laurels but that  does not happen all the time.
Like they say,everybody is a winner in the Olympics and it is important for one to project the image of the country among  other competitors from other parts of the world.So,I am going to London to give my best for my country and be a good Ambassodor of Nigeria.At the same time,I’m going there to catch my fun.