For more than two decades, Segun Toriola has given his best to ensure that the Nigerian flag is hoisted at major tournaments. His records in the continent remain unparalleled by any player even at 40 years of age, as he continues to shine. His recent memorable 41- shot rally against Singapore’s Gao Ning at the 2014 Commonwealth Games is already a talking point in major media across the globe especially the Cable News Network (CNN). In age, Toriola may be considered a dinosaur facing extinction, but the five-time All Africa Games champion believes he still has a lot to offer even after quitting the game that he admitted brought him fame and fortune. The first Commonwealth Games champion explained to OLALEKAN OKUSAN that he still believes he still has the quality to make his seventh Olympics appearance in 2016. He also spoke of his plans after his final exit from the game.
When Segun Toriola started his romance with the game of ping pong, his dream was to have fun, while his ambition of becoming an engineer was paramount. But what began in his father’s compound in the ancient city of Abeokuta, the capital of Ogun State has taken him through the length and breadth of the world. There is no continent in the globe that Toriola has not played the game, where his name is now synonymous with table tennis. His heroic performance at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games in China became the major highlight of the games.
Recalling how it all started, Toriola said: “I started playing table tennis early in life and with the help of my father, who also loves the game; my skill was honed at home. Although, my elder brothers were playing the game and I used to play with them on the wooden table provided by our father. I was already a good player before I started playing in a hall. In my first time of playing at the Abeokuta Sports Centre, a coach was thrilled by my skill and he wondered where I was training that he had never seen me playing before.”
Despite his interest in table tennis, Toriola wanted to pursue a career in Engineering that he did not take his education with levity. However, table tennis took a major part of him that he became an instant star in the game as a teen.
From 1988, he started making headlines as a junior player and it was not too long for him to break into the senior national team alongside great players like Atanda Musa and Fatai Adeyemo.
“I realised that before I knew what was happening, I started wining and it was easy for the national handlers to invite me to the national team. I started as a junior but I broke into the senior national team alongside some of my idols like Atanda and Adeyemo. My first outing for the senior team was at the 1990 African Championship in Cairo, Egypt and two years later I became the youngest of the team that featured at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain,” he said.
For Toriola, making the senior national team afforded him the opportunity to play alongside some of the top players on the continent. “I was so young when I started playing for the country and this alone gave me the opportunity to play with the best players in Africa. As a member of the national to the Barcelona 1992 Olympics was a great moment for me because that was the first time that table tennis became a medal-wining event at the Olympics. Although, I did not play many matches and I picked up some skills during the competition,” he added.
Since making his debut at the All Africa Games in 1995 in Harare, Toriola has won 13 gold, three silver and one bronze medals for Nigeria, while he remains the most successful table tennis player from the continent at the Commonwealth Games having clinched two gold medals gold and four bronze medals since table tennis was listed as a medal hauling event at the games in 2002.
In the African table tennis championships, Toriola won eight gold medals, four silver medals and a bronze medal. As the most successful African player, he became the first player to make it to the quarterfinal stage at the Olympics and with his six appearances at the Olympics; he joined the duo of Joao N’Tyamba of Angola and Maria Mutola of Mozambique as the third ever African athlete to compete in six Olympics consecutively.
Although many critics have questioned his Olympics appearance record, which it is said has not fetched him any medal. But Toriola said: “For appearing in six Olympics and five Commonwealth Games meant a lot to me because to make to the Olympics did not come on a platter of gold. Competing at the Olympics is the dream of every athlete. People must also realize that you have to qualify to play at the Olympics as you are not just handpicked. You have to compete with other players to be able to play at the Olympics and this alone for me has been very challenging especially qualifying alongside some of the top players in Africa.”
“Every Olympic that I had featured in; I fought hard against other top players in Africa to make it and this alone I think is what I love doing every four years. For me playing at the Olympics has been the climax of my career because you are going to play against the best players in the world. Also, the 2008 Olympics in China was the peak of my career because I won against some of the world best players and this memory will be with me for a very long time to come,” he said.
According to Wikipedia, a small fraction of the world’s population ever competes at the Olympic Games; an even smaller fraction ever competes in multiple Games. 488 athletes (119 women, 369 men) have participated in at least five editions of the Olympic Games from Athens 1896 to Vancouver 2010, but excluding the 1906 Intercalated Games. Just over a hundred of these have gone on to make at least a sixth Olympic appearance.
Several athletes would have made more appearances at the Olympics but for reasons out of their control, such as World Wars (no Olympics were held in 1916, 1940 or 1944), politically motivated boycotts, financial difficulties, or ill-timed injuries.
Two athletes have participated nine times: Austrian sailor Hubert Raudaschl and Canadian equestrian Ian Millar. The latter is still active and could yet add to his tally.
Well over half of six-time Olympians belong to the shooting, equestrian, sailing and fencing disciplines, which are known for allowing athletes more longevity at the elite level. Athletics and cross-country skiing also provide a large number of athletes who have competed at five Olympics.
Approximately a quarter of long-competing athletes are female. As of 2010, the closest a female athlete has come to competing at eight Olympics is 0.028 seconds, which is the time by which Jamaican-Slovenian sprinter Merlene Ottey failed to meet the qualification time required for her to make a remarkable eighth appearance at the 2008 Summer Olympics at age 48. Having changed nationality to Slovenia, Ottey, now 52, might be making her ninth appearance in London.
In table tennis, Toriola and Brazil’s Hugo Hoyama made their sixth appearance at the 2012 London Olympic Games, the quartet of Belgium’s Saive Jean-Michel, Sweden’s Jorgen Persson and Croatia’s Zoran Primorac will however, be making their seventh appearance in London.
Toriola’s achievement in table tennis is commendable. He made his debut in the table tennis event of the Olympic Games in Barcelona 1992 and he has not missed any since making his debut. But Beijing Olympics would remain indelible for Toriola following his scintillating performance against the world’s best.
“Making it to the quarterfinal in Beijing was memorable because nobody ever expected an African athlete to make it to the last eight of the championship since table tennis was included in the Olympics in 1988. Olympics being the biggest sporting event in the world and the top for every athlete, I am still enjoying the gains of the feat till date because people now respect me wherever I play and this alone is something worth savouring,” Toriola said.
Despite winning several laurels for the country, Toriola is never discouraged that the country he served had not deemed it fit to honour him. “I am not surprised that my efforts have not been recognised by the sports authority in the country. Nigeria is a nation that gives football more attention than other sports because I know if I had been a footballer, I would have been recognised by now.
“That I had not been honoured would not discourage me from doing my best for the country because I am a professional and I must do my work. I understand the Nigerian system and I had to focus on my career and not to allow this to bother me because I know somebody will recognise me one day,” he added.
“Whenever I am in the colours of the national team, I always give my best because I cherish the colour and I want to make my country proud. Many people are hoping to represent the country but few have the opportunity to fulfill the dream. Aside this, I don’t want to disappoint my fans who repose much confidence in me. This alone will always inspire me to give my best because representing Nigeria is not an easy task, especially when you are a champion, you will not want to let people down with your performance,” he admitted.
On why upcoming players fail to measure up to his level in the game, he said: “In Nigeria, we lack quality coaching and support. These two things are very important for players to excel at any level. Most players in Nigeria train without coaches’ guidance and this will not allow them to improve. When I started playing, I got tremendous support from the Ogun State Sports Council. Focus should not be on the National Sports Commission (NSC) alone because I always wonder what the states sports councils are doing.
“When I started playing the game, I got support from my sports council but I am surprised that most states pay little attention to their athletes these days. No state in Nigeria except Lagos, pays attention to table tennis. Even when the National Sports Festival is about to hold, most states will organise camping but after the festival what happens to the athletes? The states will have to wait for another festival before organising another camp. Even most of them don’t have table tennis equipment and how do you want players to excel at world stage. These are the problems these younger players are faced with.”
Despite being one of the oldest players in the Team Nigeria, Toriola has never been involved in doping and he vehemently cautioned athletes to desist from it. “I think any athlete engaging in doping should know that he or she is endangering his or herself because cheating would not take them far. I am what I am today because I believe in hardworking and this has been my secret since I made my debut in Barcelona 1992.”
Thrilled by the feat achieved by Toriola in the game, President of the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF), Wahid Oshodi, described the Team Nigeria captain to the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games as one of the greatest players Nigeria has ever produced.
“Toriola is one of the greatest athletes this country has ever produced as we do not contextualise athletes’ performances properly. Six Olympic appearances, eight Commonwealth Games medals including an individual gold, countless African titles, he is a legend. He has also had to deal with severe injuries in the past four years. Toriola played very well but of course time tells on all of us. The respect Toriola commands from his peers is awe inspiring and of course his match against the world number 12, Singapore’s Gao Ning is considered one of the greatest of the Glasgow Commonwealth Games.
For his conduct and display at the 2011 All Africa Games in Mozambique, Toriola, was awarded the Fair Play Trophy by the Games Organising Committee. This was confirmed by the President of Africa Table Tennis Federation (ATTF), Khalid El-Salhy, who said the award showed that Toriola is a super role model for upcoming players and other athletes in the continent.
“I agree that the record of the super player, Toriola, is very difficult to be broken in Africa or even through continental competitions all over the world,” he said.
