Elegant Table Tennis star, Funke Oshonaike, would lead out Team Nigeria at the Opening ceremony of the Rio Olympics, at the Maracana stadium on Friday, August 5.
The graceful and stylish ping ponger who would be competing in her sixth Olympics is also the assistant Team captain to Mikel Obi who at the weekend was also named captain of the Football team, thereby making him a double captain to the Games.
Funke Oshonaike, no doubt, would treasure to be the flag bearer as marching with her fellow athletes in an opening ceremony is considered by many athletes as the pinnacle of their Olympic journey.
Table Tennis, is indeed, honoured with yet another player, Segun Toriola whose incredible willpower and perseverance sees him as the Nigerian with seven appearances at the Olympics.
The Opening ceremony of the Rio Olympics would also see an athlete take the Olympic Oath during the Opening Ceremony, ”In the name of all the competitors”.
Meanwhile, Seven wrestlers, five females and two males, who remain the hope of the nation in winning medals at the Summer Rio Olympics depart Nigeria today for the Games.
Expectations for medals from the wrestling team is buoyed by the fact that they are handled by one of the very good experienced coaches and a gold medalist in the sport, Daniel Igali.
The wrestlers are(females), Mercy Genesis, Odunayo Adekuruoye, Aminat Adeniyi, Blessing Oborududu and Hannah Reuben as well as two males; Amas Daniel and Soso Tamara.
”If you talk about efforts, we have done well and put in over 100% for this Games. All we need is prayers from our people and luck on the wrestlers”, Igali who won Gold medal for Canada in the Olympic said.
As many sports are complaining of inadequate preparation, Igali said that his wrestlers have been preparing for the Rio Olympics since 2013. ”We’re ready but I’m not making promises”, he modestly said. ”I’ll be happy if they will approve our sparring partners to travel. They’re the ones who keep these wrestlers in tip-top shape”.
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