By Ikenna Okonkwo and Austine Agbo Emmanuel 

Funke Oshonaike now a licensed Nurse, was a Sports Ambassador at the just concluded Commonwealth Games, after featuring for Nigeria in her over three-decade career as a Table Tennis athlete. In this interview with Blueprint.ng, she speaks on her impression about Team Nigeria performance in Glasgow and other sporting issues.

Excerpts…

My impression about Team Nigeria at 2026 Commonwealth Games 

The preparation and treatment of team Nigeria at Glasgow 2026 is what I wanted to see and I’m so proud to be a Nigerian. A lot of our athletes were very passionate to perform, and that is a good thing because they want to progress. Their welfare has to be taken care of.

In the past, whenever we went to the Olympics or Commonwealth Games and saw the way other countries were kitted, you would hear people saying, “Wow, look at how America is kitted.” But at Glasgow, our own athletes were also well kitted and have their equipment. Really, I am so proud to be a Nigerian at this moment.

The future of Nigerian sports

Funding has been our major challenge in Nigeria. Once we have adequate funding, we will not have any problems because Nigeria has the talents.

If we have enough funds and our athletes have enough time to prepare, rest and be mentally stable, they can compete anywhere in the world. That is what we are asking for. We are not asking for too much, just the basic things that will enable our athletes to perform.

Appraising the organisation of 2026 Commonwealth Games?

I love the hotel, but my God, the Games Village is so congested. We are in the same place with the athletes. It is a world on its own. I am having a good rest, but honestly the village is too crowded. I was here in 2014 and the whole place was wow. Officials had their own accommodation, separate from the athletes. I don’t know what happened this time, but I hope that next time things will be better.

My message to Nigerian fans

I’m happy to be here in Glasgow. I came here to serve as a mentor to the athletes and also as an ambassador. I will continue to do my best. Up Nigeria!

Ponder over return to action at 52

I was very serious about a possible return. A woman of 50 or even 60 years can still play table tennis. If I had continued, nobody would have been able to beat me. If you look at the level of table tennis today, you will discover that the boys are improving but the girls are not improving.

You can see that I still have the talent and you can also see that I am still sweet. I only decided to leave it for the younger ones, but unfortunately things are not where they are supposed to be. I just hope they can get more coaches and improve their activities so that the younger girls can become even better than Funke Oshonaike.

Possible return for African Games and Los Angeles 2028 Olympics 

The Funke you knew has retired. Right now, I am with the Athletes’ Commission and I’m happy where I am because I can mentor the younger athletes. I’m 52 years old and I am not coming back. I’m happy they are doing well and that is what I have prayed for all my life. I’m happy to see it happen in my lifetime. But to come back and start playing table tennis again? No, I no dey go for that stress.

Move to have female players step up in Table Tennis 

We have tried to put many things in place so the younger ones can improve. Since the last African Games in Ghana, the boys did very well. They won three gold medals and we won the championship. But the girls found it difficult even to get to the semi-finals, and that has never happened before.

Like I said, we need to start afresh. We need to begin identifying children from the age of nine and develop them properly. But we need funding because without funding, nothing will happen.

Investing in grassroots sports development 

We have a lot of Nigerian athletes all over the world. If they want to come and represent Nigeria, why should we stop them? But we must not forget our own athletes at home. We need to groom them too so that everybody can come together. If we rely only on foreign-based athletes, it will not be good. We see the same thing happening in football. I don’t play football and I don’t even like football, but I think it is high time we developed our own athletes at home as well.

One thing about Nigerian athletes at home is that they are very hungry to succeed because they are trying to make ends meet. Those raised abroad have already been well taken care of, so whether things work out or not, they are still comfortable. We have to bring everybody together, but we should not allow one group to suffer. We need to invest more in our homegrown athletes.

How I was discovered as a rookie Table Tennis player

I was discovered on the streets of Surulere, in the Lagos ghetto. Back in the 1980s, people didn’t believe girls could play table tennis. My brothers used to take me around everywhere to play betting matches, and they were “chopping” all the money because I kept winning. Someone saw me and said, “This girl has talent.” That was how I was taken to the Lagos State Sports Council, and that was where my national journey started.

I dedicated 32 years of my life to Nigeria. If people had not become tired of Funke, I still had the talent God gave me to keep going higher.

Nigeria’s past sporting experience that needs to be brought

I still say we need more more funding to develop Sports in Nigeria. When we started preparing for the 1991 All Africa Games in Cairo, we stayed in camp for one full year. That was when we won all the gold medals in table tennis for Nigeria. That was when they called Nigeria the Giant of Africa. Whenever other countries heard our names, they would begin to shake because they knew we were well prepared and well taken care of. Back then, Nigerians were ready to die for Nigeria because everything was working.

Today, athletes spend barely two months in camp before major competitions. I remember I was in school in Kwara State then. Because we were camped in one place, I had to change school and attend a government school in Kwara State before returning to Lagos after the Games. Those were the days when things worked. If you were good, they put you in a good school and monitored your education alongside your sporting career.

I thank God for people like Mallam Shehu Dikko and my Egbon, Bukola Olopade. They have started wonderful initiatives, but I hope they will get enough funding because they cannot do it alone. We cannot expect them to spend their own personal money. I know they mean well and want the best for Nigerian athletes. They have used the little resources available very well.

Some people complain that athletes are being given money and it is being shown on social media. Excuse me, since they are giving them the money, let Nigerians see it. Nigerians like to doubt everything. If they don’t show it, people will say it never happened. I’m happy they are making it public because Nigerians can now see what is happening, and the athletes are happy. That is the most important thing.

My career greatest time ever

One of the greatest moments of my career was after I gave birth to my first child. She was just six months old when I won four gold medals. Another unforgettable moment was qualifying for my seventh Olympic Games during COVID-19. It was a very difficult period. I had just undergone surgery, yet I remained disciplined, stayed focused and still qualified. Those are moments I will cherish for the rest of my life.