Beijing 2008 Olympics stage was too big for me – Daniels

How did you become the number one female badminton player in Africa?  Then I had a scholarship to train in Germany so as to qualify for the Beijing Olympics. When I was in Germany, I played a lot of tournaments. I in addition, received good training which placed me on top of my game and […]

How did you become the number one female badminton player in Africa?

 Then I had a scholarship to train in Germany so as to qualify for the Beijing Olympics. When I was in Germany, I played a lot of tournaments. I in addition, received good training which placed me on top of my game and that enabled me to pick the relevant points that made me the number one in Africa. This was between 2006 to 2008.

You represented Nigeria and Africa at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Would you say you did well having lost out in the first round?

I wasn’t satisfied with my performance at the Olympics but that was my first time and I was so excited that I qualified. At the end of the day, I was drawn against my team mate when I was training in Germany. We were training together every day and she knew my game and I knew hers as well. But a month before the games in China, I decided to come home and train with the rest of my colleagues. I think it was a wrong decision because that made me to relax a bit. Meanwhile, over there, my opponents were busy training seriously. I did not train enough before the games in Beijing.

Does it mean you were not overwhelmed by the big stage as was the feeling in some quarters concerning your performance?

Not really but I must confess that it was a big stage. However, I must confess that it was a big stage. I was a bit scared because it was my first time. It was a really big crowd and everyone was watching me because I was the only black female in badminton at the Olympic. The focus was on me and it was overwhelming. I think that also contributed to my failure.

How long did it take you to overcome the pains of your dismal performance at the Olympics?

It took me some time. I wasn’t too happy with my performance but there was nothing I could do about it. I had to let it be. I was sad that I lost to the same girl we trained together and I could beat sometimes in training. She too could beat me but I often times beat her. It was therefore a bitter pill to swallow.

Was playing in the Olympics one of the targets you set for yourself when you started?

Sure it was. When I was coming up in the game, I always thought of one day playing in the Olympics. And I benefitted a lot from attending the Olympics because in Nigeria, it is only when you get to that stage that you are given the desired attention. The attention I needed was there for me in full supply. This is not to say I got everything I needed to do well.