Third Olympics Ticket Excites Nigeria's Edem Offiong

Nigeria's Edem Offiong has described her passage to this year's Rio Olympic Games as one of her career achievements, as against what she's gone through qualifying for her two previous appearances at the games.

Offiong first represented Nigeria in Table Tennis at the Athens Olympics in 2004, and then in 2008, she secured a ticket to the Beijing Olympics, but missed the 2012 edition in London, and she's hoping to have a swell time in Rio.

Offiong disclosed that she was unsettled when she got to Sudan for the qualifiers, adding that the thoughts of the games she would play to make it to Rio was reverberating in her brain.

She added that Segun Toriola was around to help her through with his encouragement during the two days qualifiers.

"I would not want to remember my experience in Sudan because from the first day of the Olympic Qualifying Tournament, I could not sleep as I was always thinking about the matches I would play."

"Even when I got to the table, I was a bit nervous. I think my quarter-final match against Algeria’s Islem Laid was the most difficult for me in Sudan. I don’t think Islem Laid has ever given me any threat in all our meetings but I just realized that I was nervous in the match and before I could realize she was leading 2-0."

"But the pep talk from Segun Toriola who acted as my coach really calmed me. So I was able to comport myself and finish the match. The semifinal and final matches were easy but the tie against Islem Laid was the toughest for me in my career," she admitted.

"Unlike previous Olympic Games where I had to qualify through the African Games, qualifying for Rio is one of the greatest achievements," she said.

Edem is however unhappy with the preparation of Team Nigeria for the Games, which has been shattered by so many factors, the first being finance.

The 29-year old Calabar-born Table tennis player added that she is determined to make a mark in Brazil; "I am not really happy with the kind of preparation of Nigeria for the Olympic Games but personally I am training three hours every day hoping that my best will be enough for me in Brazil. I have not gone beyond the preliminary but I hope I can make it to the main draw this year,” she added.

 The 2011 African Games women singles champion believes the Olympic Games is the biggest stage for every athlete, adding that she would cherish every moment in Brazil.

 

"It is the dream of every athlete to compete at the Olympic Games and it is not everybody that makes it to the games so for me Olympic Games is biggest competition in the world as it brings athletes all across the world together."

 

"It is only event that gives athletes the opportunity to mix up with athletes from different sports. So making it to my third Olympic Games is a dream comes true and I will forever cherish it," she added.

Offiong, apart from appearing at the Athens and Beijing Olympic Games in 2004 and 2008, she has won several medals- five gold medals, two silver and one bronze medals respectively so far in her career.