ITTF Inducts Oshonaike Into Exclusive ‘Club 7’

By Daily sports on July 27, 2021

Nigeria’s Olufunke Oshonaike has been inducted into the exclusive club of seven-time Olympians known as the ‘Club 7’ by the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF).

Oshonaike who is the first table tennis player in the world and the first female athlete in Africa to attend seven Olympic Games becomes the first female to be inducted into the 7th Club.

The induction ceremony was done in Tokyo on Monday and attended by the President of ITTF Thomas Weikert as well as former inductees – Jörgen Persson of Sweden (1988 to 2012), Zoran Primorac of Croatia and the former Yugoslavia (1988 to 2012), Belgium’s Jean-Michel Saive (1988 to 2012) and Segun Toriola (1992 – 2016).

Across the globe, only four male table tennis players in the world have been inducted since table tennis became an Olympic sport at Seoul ‘88 Olympic Games in South Korea and Oshonaike increased the number to five being the first female player in the world.

Toriola made his Olympic debut at the Barcelona ‘92 Olympic Games, while Oshonaike made her Olympic Games debut at the Atlanta ‘96 Games in the United States.

The former African champion hopes the achievement would encourage young players in the continent to achieve their dreams.

“I hope this award for me and my country, as the only female in the seventh club in the world, and the only woman in Africa to have achieved the dream of representing her country at the Olympics seven times, will brighten the hearts of Nigerians especially for young girls that dreams can come through regardless of the challenges in life,” she said.

“Though I might not have won gold, silver or bronze, I have won what no woman in the world of table tennis has ever won. Thank God for the award – the 7 Club award. I’m a proud Nigerian and I hope more women will join me.”

Oshonaike bowed out in the preliminary round of the women’s singles after losing to Liu Juan of the United States, while she, however, ruled herself out from the next Olympics in France. (Channels TV)

•PHOTO: Funke Oshonaike

Source Daily sports

Posted July 27, 2021


 

You may also like...
Osimhen Scores As Lille Bow To Olympique Marseille...

Watford stun Arsenal as Ramsey suffers another injury...

Obisia blasts promoters, accuses them of impoverishing Nigerian...

Atletico Go Top Of La Liga With Betis...

I’ll take Edwards’ soul, Usman vows ahead trilogy...

Ibrahimovic In Doubt For Milan Derby After New...

 

Latest News Italy in 'difficult moment' after defeat by Norway Ronaldo rejects offers to play at Club World Cup Fans must not 'over expect' before Andorra match - Tuchel Saka left out of England squad to face Andorra Was that Djokovic's goodbye to the French Open? Spurs captain Son says Postecoglou a club 'legend' Jorginho joins Flamengo after Arsenal departure NSF: SWAN Anambra Calls For Review Of Sports Policy After Abeokuta Poor Performance 36 yrs after, NFF honours Sam Okwaraji with a tournament Delap not part of England Under-21 squad for Euros Beckham set to be awarded knighthood Yamal shines as Spain beat France in nine-goal thriller

 

Most Read Rangers International going, going . . . (55,512 views) Amaju Pinnick: A cat with nine lives (46,664 views) Second Term: Amaju Pinnick, Other NFF Heavyweights Home to Roost •How Pinnick Broke the Jinx (44,684 views) Missing $150,000 IAAF Grant: Solomon Dalung’s Hide and Seek game (44,282 views) Current issues in Nigerian sports: Matters arising (44,275 views) Sports Development: Zenith Bank on the zenith (44,274 views) Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje’s solid footprints, commitment to sports development in Kano State (44,075 views) NFF Presidency: Pinnick, Maigari, Ogunjobi, Okoye in Battle for Supremacy (43,616 views) Olopade, BET9A wave of revolution in NNL (42,722 views) Commonwealth Games 2018: Shame of Muhammadu Buhari, Solomon Dalung (41,347 views) Ibrahimovic’s Man U exit: Whose decision is it? And in whose interest? (39,789 views) John Mikel Obi: Segun Odegbami’s Outrageous Call! (39,209 views)

 

Phone numbers

Tel: +234(0)8066020976
+234(0)8055068145
+234(0)7013416146
+234(0)8094272884

Email addresses

info@dailysportsng.com
support@dailysportsng.com
publisher@dailysportsng.com

Office address

No 3, Adetoun Close, Off College Road, Ogba, Ikeja Lagos.
Website: www.dailysportsng.com

Social Media