Oshonaike, who defeated former African champion, Egypt’s Dina Meshref to emerge as the new continental champion at the ITTF Africa Senior Championships held in Agadir, Morocco.
The 41-year-old six-time Olympian first won the African title in 1992 with her last triumph coming in 2002.
“I am so excited that I can still do it and this is also an inspiration for girls that no matter your age, you can achieve whatever you want to in life. My victory in Morocco is a lesson to the young ones that they should not give up irrespective of the challenges they are facing in the country. A lot of things are happening in Nigeria that could frustrate one, but still they should not give up. Forget about what the coaches are doing or what the country is doing to you, just be focused and love and enjoy what you are doing and surely, you will get there one day. Even when you are married with kids, you can still get to where you want to get to,” Oshonaike said.
The Germany-based star is not ready to quit the sport that she has been playing in the last two decades saying, “I’m not going to stop playing until I find anybody that could beat me. Until the young girls are ready to take over and if they are not ready, I’ll keep on playing for my country. After all, my family and children are not disturbing me. They love seeing me play. But as soon as I see any serious contender, I’ll throw-in the towel and take a bow.”
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