Seven-time Olympian and Nigeria’s table tennis sensation, Funke Oshonaike, has said past and current athletes deserve better treatment from the Federal Government.
She said Nigeria has not given them their due recognition despite bringing honour and glory to the fatherland.
Oshonaike, in an exclusive interview with Nigerian Tribune during the recent Nigerian Olympians Association (NOA) banquet and award ceremony in Abuja, however, said the fact that they are yet to be given their due respect will never stop the athletes from giving their best to the country during international competitions. The 2003 All Africa Games gold medalist said the love of the country is what is keeping them going despite the shoddy treatment they get from those in authority.
She advised Nigeria to copy the United States and Europe who will never joke with the welfare of their athletes no matter what.
“I love Nigeria, I love the national anthem. It has also been good that I have gone to the Olympics seven times. We are not given our due recognition in Nigeria and we don’t get support from the government.
“Nonetheless, we will continue to give our best with the hope that Nigeria will give more recognition to me and other Olympians. I support 100 percent what the NOA is doing. If you go to every other countries like in Europe or even in the United States, they do recognise their Olympians. If you represent your country just in one Olympics there is a stipend that they pay you. But in Nigeria, we don’t get that.
“We are saying that if you don’t recognise us, we can actually recognise ourselves. A lot of things have happened to some of us. Some are managing their health. See the way Okorududu died. Some say we don’t save. But tell me how do you save when what you get from the country is only when you represent Nigeria. How much are we being paid?
“They don’t pay us every month. It is only when we get the opportunity to go to a competition that we get an allowance and apart from that they don’t give us any money. I believe the next minister of sports will take note of this and take care of every Nigerian athlete.
“My best moment putting on Nigerian colour is when I won four gold medals during the 2003 All African Games in Abuja after giving birth to my child, Divine. I don’t want to talk about the bad moments because they have treated me so bad and I think I just want to forget about it,” Oshonaike told Tribune Sports.