by Olalekan Okusan, ITTF-Africa Press Officer

Later, Bose Kaffo was the coach for the African team at the 2010 ITTF World Cadet Challenge in 2010; most significantly, now 44 years old, she has combined education with high level sport, she has a Bachelor of Science and a Master’s Degrees in Sports Science.

Bose Kaffo explained her philosophy.

“After the 2008 Olympic Games, I lost my mum; then I was on the Board Lagos State Sports Council. I was also into professional courses and unfortunately I went down with an ailment which took away five years of my life. On recovering, I worked as a Performance Analyst to the All Africa Games 2015 and Rio 2016 with Paralympians.

For now, there are lots of things to give back to the society at any given time. As for table tennis, it is just more than I thought I could give. I have to give all of me to meet my desire for my sport. For me now, sports mean not only table tennis. My aim now is to move sportsmen from mere sportsmen to better profiting people in sports. I will want to work in an environment where my athletes will be among the best in the world.

As a qualified table tennis course conductor and a coach, my first interest is to see Nigeria retain the position of the best in Africa. We need to educate our coaches, examine their efficiency and test their qualities. I will want to see more top and better players in Africa table tennis. We can achieve this, by constantly conducting coaching courses and training programmes. We need to go down to schools and the environs and advertise table tennis. As a sport scientist, I will like to make use of my ability to bring out the best in developing and less privileged countries.

When I was studying, it was tough, I had to give education my all because I discovered that I cannot achieve anything without it. Although, I have been interested in studying, I was not looking to be what I am as an athlete then. With the fast growing world, I am often graving for more knowledge in my field.

I am table tennis. I love my first love and I am what I am because of table tennis. Whatever I want to become the name Bose Kaffo always rings seriously, I am intimidated and humbled. We are always contributing into something and you get recognised. So I’m recognised for all I did in table tennis. Then I gained the World recognition from table tennis.

Table tennis was a platform that demands the better of me both academically. What I am aiming for right now is the ability to give back into the community through what I have seen in the sport abroad.”