×

Most Widely Read Newspaper

Exclusion from 2018 commonwealth games is painful — Oribamise

Esther-Oribamise

Esther Oribamise

Nigeria’s number one-ranked junior female table tennis player, Esther Oribamise, is among the home-based players dropped from camp ahead of the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Australia. She talks about her experience in camp in this interview with IDRIS ADESINA

All eight home-based players in camp for the 2018 Commonwealth Games, including you, were asked to go home. How did you feel about that?

I felt bad because it wasn’t a good news. We had been in camp for some weeks and we were hoping that one or two of us would make it to the Games but it was not to be. It was painful because the Commonwealth Games is a big competition where I can further get exposed and play against new opponents but I had to let it go and return home to prepare for the Youth Olympics.

How beneficial was the camp?

I learnt a lot from the coaches in the camp and I know the knowledge will come in handy when I need them. The knowledge will help when I get to the Youth Olympics in Argentina and there is also the African Youth Games in Algeria in July. The camp was not a waste of time.

You are the only table tennis player that will represent Nigeria at the Youth Olympics in Argentina. How have you been preparing for the Games?

For now, the preparations for the Games have been very slow because there has been no support yet from the government. Preparing for such a competition entails attending a few international tournaments where I can compete in the junior category and meet with some opponents, who will probably be attending the Games too. But I have been managing what I have and training hard with my coach (Olubode Ajayi) to ensure that whenever the Youth Olympics camp is eventually opened, I would not be found wanting. I want to come back with a medal from Argentina. To achieve that, I know I have to work hard.

What are the major challenges facing young table tennis players in Nigeria?

Nigeria is blessed with a lot of talented table tennis players in the junior category, who can beat the Egyptians at any level of the competition if the right things are done. The government and private organisations really need to invest in the junior players to bring out the best in us. We have a few people who believe in us and are helping out but there are more players who still need assistance to realise their full potential. Most of the junior players don’t have the basic equipment to play the game – some have only one racket. Some players don’t have the opportunity to play on good tables until they get to the national team. There are also not enough competitions to help us perfect our skills. The problem of exposure is also there. We don’t have adequate international exposure like the Egyptians. At the last ITTF Cadet and Junior Circuit in Egypt in October, we went with just three players – myself, Taiwo Matti and Azeez Solanke – but we returned with six medals. At the same competition, the Egyptians fielded up to 15 players but they didn’t have up to the number of medals we had. If we had more players at that competition, Nigeria would have won more medals. If the private organisations can invest a part of the money they invest in football in some of our junior players, I believe table tennis will be more popular than it is now because we will have more than two or three top players in the country every time. When we are going for international competitions too, the sports ministry should increase the number that can go as well. Training without tournaments will not help us at all.

With these challenges, don’t you think the players can become discouraged if they don’t get the support they need?

They will become discouraged because they are human beings. When one is doing everything possible to get exposed but the efforts are not being supported or recognised, one can get tired and find another course of action. Many a times, some of us felt like giving up because the help seems not to be coming but the support of our coaches and the federation keeps us going. For instance, I remember last year when we had trained hard for the African Junior Championships in Tunisia and none of us could attend. Only me and Azeez Solanke later attended the Youth Olympic Games qualifiers that same month. Such events can make one lose interest in the sport and such talents would become wasted. Not everyone will play football; so, those of us who have chosen other sports also need to be encouraged to realise our potential.

Nigeria is still behind Egypt in the female category – both junior and senior. How soon do you see an end to this?

Egypt’s female players enjoy the best of sponsorship just as their male players do. In Nigeria, most of our senior female players are outside the country and are doing well while we, the junior players who are at home, are also doing our best. Whenever we meet the Egyptians, we are always ready to show them that we are better than them. We are more talented than them but the sport needs to be invested in so that it can grow better than it currently is. If we have the right sponsorship, Nigeria will dominate all categories of table tennis in Africa and compete well on the world scene.

Recently, you moved up in the ITTF ranking – from 487 to 482. Has this motivated you to do more as a junior player?

It has motivated me and it has told me that I can actually be on top of the rankings if I have the right support and encouragement needed to do so. Truthfully, the rankings are a reflection of how well players do at competitions and I believe that with more activities, I can be the world number one. I believe I can achieve this because one of my mentors, Aruna Quadri, is doing it. He is currently in the top 30 in the world and that is without adequate sponsorship as his colleagues outside Africa.

What is your target in table tennis?

My target is to be the best every time and anywhere I find myself. I want to win laurels for Nigeria as a junior and senior player. I want to put Nigeria’s name on the global map in the sport. I have qualified for the Youth Olympics. Part of my target is to play in the main Olympics as early as the Tokyo 2020 Games.

You are studying Human Kinetics and Health Education at the Ekiti State University. How have you been able to balance schooling and training?

Really, it has not been easy, from my first year in the school till date. The school calendar is so busy that I may have lectures from 8am till around 6pm. My weekends are sometimes taken up by school work – assignments and projects. But I still find time to train amidst all of these. I am grateful to my coach and my training mates. At times, they come to my school just because they want to encourage me to train well. For now, the varsity workers are on strike; so, I have some more time to train.

You have represented your school in national and international inter-school competitions. How have they supported you?

My school is actually one of the biggest sponsors I have for now. They are always supporting with everything. I miss school when national assignments come up and I have no fear that I would miss anything. Being a student of the school has really helped my career both on and off the table and I must be appreciative of that.

What is next for you after school?

My goal after school is to play professional table tennis abroad while studying for my Master’s degree.

How far can Nigeria go at the Commonwealth Games?

The team will be made up of experienced players and I believe with the current form of Aruna Quadri, Funke Oshonaike, Edem Offiong and others, Nigeria can win some medals in table tennis.

What are your best and worst moments?

My greatest moment so far was when I qualified for the Youth Olympic Games in Tunisia last year because only four of us will represent Africa – two Egyptians, one Tunisian and myself. I wasn’t happy that Azeez didn’t make it but anytime I remember that competition, I am always happy. My worst moments are those times we prepared for international events and we didn’t attend them.

Who are your role models in the sport?

When it comes to leadership and motivation, I look up to Funke Oshonaike – she is a leader. In terms of fierceness on the table and playing style, I look up to Edem Offiong. I also look up to China’s Ding Ning, who is a former world number one. She has a unique way of playing that I love watching and will like to inculcate in my game.

How can Nigeria dominate table tennis in the world?

Invest in the players and allow them grow. Table tennis talents are everywhere – from the streets to the schools. The Chinese nurtured their talents from the grass roots and today, they are world powers in the sport. We can get there if we adopt the same style.

Have your parents supported your dream to play table tennis?

They have been supporting me since I started the sport in primary school. They were very proud of me when I went to my first inter-state competition – when I represented my local government at an inter-secondary school competition in Ekiti State. Even at a point when I felt like quitting, my parents were there to support me. I am grateful to them.

Copyright PUNCH.
All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH.

Contact: [email protected]

 

Stay informed and ahead of the curve! Follow The Punch Newspaper on WhatsApp for real-time updates, breaking news, and exclusive content. Don't miss a headline – join now!

Join The Punch Newspapers Channel