Isau Ogunkunle: If supported, I will deliver gold in table tennis at the 2021 Paralympics

Ogun State-born Para-table tennis national champion, Isau Ogunkunle who has picked the ticket to represent Nigeria at next Summer’s Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, is confident that if given the necessary support, he will win a gold medal at the games. In this interview with Trust Sports, the 34-year-old physically challenged player who caused the […]

Ogun State-born Para-table tennis national champion, Isau Ogunkunle who has picked the ticket to represent Nigeria at next Summer’s Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, is confident that if given the necessary support, he will win a gold medal at the games. In this interview with Trust Sports, the 34-year-old physically challenged player who caused the greatest upset at the 2019 Africa PTT Championships in Alexandria, Egypt when he defeated the African champion, Egypt’s Mohamed Sameh Eid spoke about his preparation for the upcoming biggest sporting event.

You beat the African champion at the 2019 Africa PTT Championships in Alexandria, Egypt. Tell us about that moment.

Before the game, I was  confident that I would beat any opponent that came my way. I went there with my training partner and I was building my confidence. When we saw the table that I was going to use to play against the number one in Africa, I wasn’t afraid. I went there, I played and God took control, I beat him 3-2. While in Egypt, Alexandria in 2019, I won one gold, one silver.

It was very difficult for me to qualify. I qualified for the 2021 Paralympics because of my ranking in the world. I didn’t get any support from anybody but God almighty. I wasn’t rated, but I beat the number one in Africa.

And what was the feeling like when you qualified for Tokyo 2020?

I feel very elated. I was proud of myself because it was a dream that came true. I was very scared at first when my friend from Poland called me that I had qualified. I went to the site, saw my name and I was very excited.

COVID – 19 has forced postponement of the competition till 2021. How disappointed are you?

If not for COVID – 19, I may not have qualified for the tournament. During COVID – 19, they stopped all the international competitions and all the ranking remained. That’s why I am making it to Tokyo 2021. If there was no embargo on international competitions, I may not have money to attend any competition. So for me, it is a kind of blessing in disguise.

How prepared are you for next year’s tournament?

I am not prepared. You can see, the bat I use to train (showing his peeling bat). You can’t compare this to what my opponents who will feature in the international competition will be using.

I am on my own. I have not got any sponsor or support from anywhere. I have a coach, who is very technical and is trying his best. Had it been I have better facilities and equipment, I would have been fully prepared and in good form. My bat is not good enough to play. This bat costs N55,000 and I need at least seven pairs of this for training.

If I have equipment, and facilities, I am good to go. With good equipment, I am very sure that I will deliver at the 2021 Paralympics.

We are looking forward to the Nigerian sports festival, they are depending on me here (in Ogun State) but they are not encouraging me. They know that I will give them at least 2 gold medals, nothing less than that.

What role do you think the government should play in your preparation?

As physically challenged athletes, we need government’s help. I won’t want to go to the street to beg for help. I use what I know to get what I want. If I get encouragement from the government, I can do better. All the players out there are not better than me. I know my ability in this game. No one can stand me in Nigeria. I need individual support and encouragement. There are times I want to give up and to go and find another job, but for those who keep encouraging me, I stay on. I have been winning gold medals for Ogun State since 2011 but I don’t get any encouragement. If I were from Delta State, I will not be talking of support because, I would have enough funds. I need someone that can adopt me so that I can go far.

What are your major challenges?

When I started this game, I faced a lot of challenges. In a spate of 6 months, I lost my dad and then lost my mum. They were both my biggest supporters and always encouraged me. I enrolled in Electrical and Electronic Engineering at Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta but I couldn’t finish because I lost my parents. I was training to be a cobbler and it was there someone saw me and introduced me to table tennis. I left the handiwork to face table tennis as a career.

Do you still have plans to return to school?

Yes, I want to go back to school. If not for the fact that I lost my parents, I wouldn’t be playing table tennis. They wanted me to be educated. They wanted to sponsor me to any length but I lost them.

Do you think the government in Nigeria is investing adequately in sports?

They are doing their best. You see, if not for the government, I wouldn’t have gone to Alexandria and I wouldn’t have qualified, but the truth is the government cannot do it all alone. I live among Nigerians. They know me, my needs and my ability which the government cannot know. This is where individual support is very important.