I never knew I could be a table tennis star - Africa's No 2 player

I never knew I could be a table tennis star - Africa's No 2 player

By Editor

Africa's number two table tennis player Edem Offiong was a footballer before she changed her career to being a table tennis player.

Offiong made it known while featuring on the BCOS TV Sports programme Fans' Forum, that he was a footballer until she took to table tennis.

The table tennis star told BCOS TV anchor Boluwaji Ogunmola on the sports programme produced by Adewale Tijani, that she never knew she could go far in table tennis as she loved football more than ping pong game.

"People told me I played table tennis well but I never knew I could go far because I loved football more than any other game", she said on Fan's Forum from his base in Madrid Spain.

The Calabar born table tennis player who will represent Nigeria at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics also disclosed that securing Olympic ticket was her toughest experience so far.

"Qualifying for Olympics wasn't easy for me as I had to contend with two Tunisian girls in my group in Tunis. I complained bitterly to the organisers because I saw this arrangement as unfair to me but favourable to the Tunisians. However, I took my destiny into my hands and eventually qualified after beating the two Tunisians and the Ethiopian in my group", Offiong recalled.

Speaking on her preparations and expectation for 2020 Olympics, Offiong said she was looking forward to having a remarkable performance in Tokyo next year.