Atanda ‘Mansa’ Musa Relives His Reign as Ping-Pong Czar

He was a household name within and outside of the country in the 1980s till early 1990s when he took a bow from the game that brought him to limelight. Olympic Games in Barcelona in 1992 was his last event. Noted for his ferocious forehand, his backhand and the loops from rallies arguably puts him ahead of contemporaries.

During the week, former African champion, Atanda Musa, fondly referred to as Mansa Musa, returned to the familiar ground he left 29 years ago. He was special guest at the just concluded Asoju-Oba Table Tennis Cup, the tournament that shot him to fame.

In this interview with FEMI SOLAJA, the former African and Commonwealth champion was full of praises for Aruna Quadri, the star who reigns supreme in the game in the continent today. “He (Quadri Aruna) would not have survived a contest against me if he were to play in my era,” began Musa who is in Nigeria on vacation from his base in the USA….

What is your take on the state of table tennis in the country?

Firstly, I want to say that I am really glad to be here again after many years outside the country. When I visited the venue of the Asoju-Oba tournament (at the Teslim Balogun Stadium), I saw young boys and girls who are very glad to play the game with the same passion that was associated with the era that I belong to. I saw lads who were happy and willing to improve themselves. However, the major problem retarding their development, in my own opinion, is lack of coaches or technical personnel to straighten the rough edges for them.

We need to employ many coaches because during my time, we had lots of them around. I was developed by the Late Mufutau Oduntan hence I will implore those in authority to get many of the coaches who are out there without a job to help our players grow.

But do you think Nigeria currently have technical personnel that are good enough to meet up with international standard instead of just giving jobs to jobless and retired table tennis players?

Yes, we have them around here but we are not utilizing them. Many of them that I know, can deliver. The advent of technology has made things easier now. When you engage personnel that are not on steady income, it would be difficult to get the best out of them. But if they are employed and placed on salaries and given targets, we will discover and improve on existing talents. Things will certainly change for the better.

What memory do you still hold dear to heart during your active playing days in the country?

The 1984 memories of the final match of Asoju-Oba comes to mind. The hard-won match against Late Yomi Bankole (aka The Hawk) remains unforgettable. It was a winner-takes-it-all with a brand new Peugeot 504 at stake. Although Late Chief Molade Okoya-Thomas, the sponsor of the tournament had assured me of a new car even if I lose, my mind was definitely on the prize at stake and fortunately, I won the match and the brand new car.

Playing against Yomi Bankole most of the time was a bigger task for me. To play against him requires special motivation and hard work not just skill. That guy was very good in power play because when he smashes the ball you feel it and because of his aggressive nature of play, he was fondly called ‘The Hawk’. He was a legend of the game. Sad that he’s gone.

What is your view of the exploits of Aruna Quadri?

Aruna is doing a great job and he has surpassed whatever I achieved in my days but the only problem of his reign is that he is the only one that is up there and goes to international tournaments. The gap between him and the next to him is too wide and speaks volume of this present era. During my days in the game, I was almost at same level with all my rivals. If you win a tournament during my era, you must have been extremely good. Look at Aruna Quadri today, the gulf between him and the next ranked player is too wide and almost over 50 in the ranking position but during my time, if you place me on 95, be rest assured that the next in line is 94.5 and this explained the fierce rivalry that existed during my time and it really helped table tennis to be famous like football.

Quadri is playing among the best in the world today and making Africa to be counted. How do you feel about this his fledgling career?

I’m very proud of his achievements. When I was in America, everyone was talking about him. I’m proud of him and proud of being a Nigerian as well. At the last World Championship in Houston, Texas, he was able to justify his fledgling profile and his current ranking is the reward for dedication, hard work and focus. He’s the first African to reach the quarter finals at the Olympics (Rio 2016), the best I attained during my time was last 32 but he made it to last 8 in Brazil. It was a great feat and I strongly believe that he can still do more.

When you were growing up, who was your role model in table tennis?

Well, when I started playing in the street, I admired one Lekan Fenuyi because I was schooling at Ijebu Ode while he was at Ijebu Ode Grammar School. That time, there were only 12 States in the Federation and I was representing Ijebu zone and played for Western State. I like the way he played and that really shaped what I became later in the years to come.

Going by your exploits in the game, many years ago and when you look at what Aruna Quadri has done in the last few years, if the lad were to belong to your generation or you were to have been born to this era, who could have won a contest between Atanda Musa and Aruna Quadri?

If Aruna had belonged to my generation, no chance for him because he would have fizzled out in the formative stage of his career. In my time, we had over 20 top players and you have to overcome the likes of Yomi Bankole, Abbas Ekun, Francis Sule, Sunday Eboh, Titus Omotara, Fatai Adeyemo, Taofik Maya, Thomas Ogunrinde and many more. We had too many good players and when I’m seeded at the top and Bankole number two, down the chart and all those in the middle were formidable opponents as well. It was always tough to go through the rough path all the time to play in the final match against Bankole or any of the other tough guys.

But if I were to belong to this generation, don’t forget I’m 61-year-old now, and to play among the guys today, you have to take into cognizance, the fact that the speed is too much now. During my time, we played modern table tennis and it was good for the spectators with which they sit down and watch good game and plenty rallies. In some of my games against Bankole, we can have up to 16 to 20 rallies but today the highest they play is may be six to seven rallies because the speed is too fast. Not just like the internet connection which can be slow in one area but faster in another region. So in my days, it was more energy-sapping playing rally just to secure a point and end at 21. But today, its half the mark which is also good for the modern era as well. In our time, we had self-discipline. We trained on our own. I go to stadium and do everything on my own and avoid anything that could destroy my career.

What do you think is the magic helping Aruna Quadri to cope, playing with the top players globally?

He was able to cope with hard work and don’t forget that week in week out, he plays against them and has been part of them unlike our days when all we do is to play local tournaments and when we have the chance to participate in tournaments outside, we were never under any pressure because we were at our beacon as super star but when we upset form book, that was the story.

Going by global trend in sport betting, Table Tennis could be the origin of how the norm got into sports but the negative impact on global scene today is that a strong mafia or cabal is using it to influence the outcomes of games. What do you think should be done to eradicate external influence as a determinant in competitive sport?

Well I have no knowledge of that but as far as I am concerned, I used to stake bet when I am sure of going to win my games. It was an additional motivation. But sometimes I lost my bets. If I’m to be honest with you, 99.9 percent of table tennis players can’t do without the betting culture.

You coached in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and lately USA. What will it cost Nigeria to engage Atanda Musa?

Let me be honest with you, I can come back home and coach but we (Nigeria) need to be consistent in our approach to engagements. Take for instance, the changes at Federal Government, Sports Ministry and at Sports Federation level make things really difficult. Where I have worked previously, everything is captured in black and white (contract). But here, i think it gets bad when the fellow that engaged you get fired or resigned to leave you in the lurch. Anyway, Nigeria is my country. I will be glad to give back to my country but we need to change attitude (of how we hire and fire) to move forward.

Do any of your children took after you in table tennis?

No way. All of them are in America. They believe there is no money in the sports hence are all engaged with American sports

During your days in active table tennis, you were loved by most fans of the game especially females, did you take advantage of your fame to have many of them as special friends?

I took life so simple. I have been in America for a long time and what keeps me going is my moral uprightness. It has given me the honour to even recommend visitors to the country because of my moral standing. I didn’t just build it when I got there but it’s been part of me while I was playing in Nigeria. I adhere to my training schedule and stay focused most of the time. It’s a matter of choice as an athlete. It is either you want to stay long at the top or enjoy the top for a while and vanish within a very short period of time. Woman can help you climb up as well as bring you down.

What will you consider your low moment in life?

It was when my mother passed on. I was very pained with her demise because of what she meant to me. I was about going to Saudi Arabia in 1999 when she took ill and did not survive the operation after spending so much on her treatment. However, age is a wonderful healer.

Is Funke Oshonaike’s long stay at the top of women’s table tennis a blessing to Nigeria?

She has paid her dues. By now, she should have become a coach in the women session and give them the impetus to develop the young talents. For her to still be representing the country is not in any way development to the sports. She can do practical and theory as a coach for the women game. We should move up to the national level and impact knowledge on the coming players. She has reached final bus stop as a competitive player.