I’m a proud Nigerian hope more women will join me,” added the 46-year-old who was 20 when she played her first match for Nigeria at the Atlanta ‘96 Olympics in the women’s doubles, partnering Bose Kaffo in a match against Russia. Thank God for the award – the 7 Club award. “Though I might not have won gold, silver or bronze, but I have won what no woman in the world of table tennis has ever won. Thanks to Nigeria and thanks to the Minister,” she said, referring to Nigeria’s Minister of Youth Sports and Social Development, Sunday Dare. “I hope this award for me and my country, as the only girl in the seventh club in the world, and the only woman in Africa to have achieved the dream of representing her country at the Olympics seven times, will brighten the hearts of Nigerians. "We want to show that even though we are in the middle of the war, we must do something.Speaking after receiving her plaque at a brief ceremony in which the other Club 7 inductees Persson, Primorac, Saive, and Toriola were in attendance, Oshonaike hoped the honour would “brighten the hearts of Nigerians.” "It's great for us that we can play, and we are able to overcome those obstacles. We didn't have such tables nor such preparations," said Zaza. "The conditions where I trained in Syria were a very hard thing to me. Syria's civil war has killed around 500,000 people, displaced millions, and ravaged infrastructure since it started in 2011 with the repression of anti-government protests. Zaza had to overcome serious adversity to reach the Olympics, where she carried the Syrian flag in Friday's opening ceremony. "For sure, I wanted to win and take one or two matches, but hopefully in the next Olympics." A 12-year-old girl playing against a 39-year-old and taking nine or 10 points, this is an achievement," said Zaza.
Liu, 39, was the European champion in 2005, four years before Zaza was born. Hopefully in the next Olympics, there will be something in it for me." Travel through different parts of the world and win match after match to become the world champion.
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I wasn't asked to win, I was asked to play well," she told. "Reaching the Tokyo Olympics was already an achievement. Ping pong table, woman playing table tennis with racket and ball in a sport hall. Zaza, who shot to fame overnight in her war-torn country last year by qualifying for Tokyo, lost to Austria's Liu Jia 11-4, 11-9, 11-3, 11-5.īut Zaza, the youngest Olympian since 11-year-old Romanian Beatrice Hustiu competed in figure skating at the 1968 Winter Olympics, said she was happy with her performance. Portrait woman playing ping pong on smoke. Twelve-year-old Syrian table tennis player Hend Zazathe youngest competitor at the Tokyo Olympicslost her first-round match 4-0 to Chinese-born Austrian veteran Liu Jia, in a game. TOKYO: The youngest athlete at the Tokyo Olympics at just 12-years of age, Syria's Hend Zaza said just reaching the Games was "an achievement" despite bowing out in the preliminary round on Saturday. Hend Zaza of Syria in action against Jia Liu of Austria. Tokyo 2020 Olympics - Table Tennis - Women's Singles - Preliminary Round - Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium - Tokyo, Japan - July 24, 2021.