DUSSELDORF, GERMANY - MAY 31: Olufunke Oshonaike of Nigeria reacts during Women Single 1. Round at Table Tennis World Championship at Messe Duesseldorf on May 31, 2017 in Dusseldorf, Germany. (Photo by Maja Hitij/Bongarts/Getty Images)
BY Idris Shehu
Funke Oshonaike’s Olympic journey has ended after losing 4-1 to Juan Liu at the women’s singles preliminary round of table tennis on Saturday.
The match, which took place at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium, saw the Chinese-American dominate the 46-year-old Nigerian.
Liu took the first three sets (11-7, 11-3, 11-4) before Oshonaike hinted a spark of resistance to win the fourth in a tie-break 13-11.
However, the resurgence was quenched by a fired-up Liu, who snatched the fourth set, and consequently, the match and the qualification into the first round.
Oshonaike, who became the first African female athlete to compete in seven Olympic Games, had her dream of “defeating the undefeated” cut prematurely short.
Reacting to the loss, the 11-time African Games medallist said she is both happy and sad.
She said: “I’m feeling kind of sad and happy. I’m sad that I lost, but I’m happy to be here again at the Olympics to represent my country. But it’s rather unfortunate that I’ve to play a Chinese-American and the best in American in the qualification round.
“But I have a lot of reasons to be grateful and happy. I’m happy that my dream has come true. As a seven-time Olympian, at my age, I’m still representing my country.”
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