Paul Usoro SAN Helped Me Find My Passion —- Mfon Table Tennis Champion, Yetunde Martins

MFON Paul Usoro SAN Table Tennis Cup for female lawyers. This season, a new champion emerged who defeated the indomitable Titilayo Osagie. Sit calm as we bring you this exclusive interview by TheNigerialawyer (TNL) with the current Champion.  Can we know you?  Yes. I am Mrs. Yetunde Martins. I am a practicing Lawyer from Lagos State, married with two boys. How do you feel winning the MFON Paul Usoro SAN Table tennis competition for lawyers?  I can just say it is really fulfilling. When did you begin playing tennis? I started playing it while I was at my father’s house. But I stopped for about close to twenty four (24) years, before I got to know about the MFON table tennis for lawyers. I want to thank Paul Usoro SAN for letting me find my passion. There are other sports out there, what drove you to playing tennis? It was the only game in the house then. My family had a tennis board in the house so I did play it often. But I also do swimming and volleyball. We learnt that you have toppled the 7^th year reign of Titilayo Osagie, did you ever plan on wining her this tournament? Yes! I did. I will say Titilayo Osagie has been consistent. She is someone I respect. She has been known for winning the competition for years and of course, she deserves it. But for me, I wanted to go beyond the 1^st runner-up, so I decided to put in more effort. I trained more and my effort gave me a good result. I just hope I will be able to beat her again. (Laughs) How do you mix sports with lawyering?  Well, I live at a place which is not far from a table tennis board. So I just had to create the time. It’s simply a conscious effort. Though it is not easy but it’s worth it because it helps the family. One has to blend it with practice. It helps a great deal. How often do you practice? I practice every weekend. But it is not easy. What do you think is the significance of sports in the legal profession?  You see, the legal profession is tasking. Imagine a lawyer spending almost the whole day researching and writing just to make a good case for the client. There is the dare need for such a lawyer to take care of his or her body. Year in, year out, we hear news of lawyers dying. The reason is not far from lack of proper healthcare. To me, I see Sports as the engine that helps the vehicle to keep moving. It is now time to incorporate sports in general into the legal profession. It will help us to be healthy not just for ourselves, but our family. You see, before we become opposing counsel, we were first friends. Sporting helps us to create that relationship outside the court room. How much is the furthest you’ve traveled for sports? I have not gone beyond the Lagos State National Stadia. (Laughs) How did you get to know about the Mfon Paul Usoro table tennis for lawyers? I got to know about the competition through the organizers. They personally asked me to participate and I accepted. How many times have you participated in the competition? Six (6) times. What’s your say about the competition?  The competition has been around for about 10 years now, and I think it is a wonderful idea that should be made bigger. I really appreciate the organizers for this because so far, they have been consistent and consistency is what we lack in this part of the world. I love the idea because with it, we can mix some fun with practice life. After this Competition, what next? I don’t intend taking table tennis beyond this level. But I could play some friendly matches, if the opportunity presents itself. (Laughs) What’s your say about Mr. Paul Usoro SAN, do you think he is fit to be the next NBA President? Well, I don’t know him personally, though; I have met him a number of occasions. I don’t know so much about him personally, but my colleagues say a lot of good things about him, so I think he is a nice person. But personally, I love his consistency. Maintenance culture is a virtue Africans lack; the ability to start something and continue with it to the end is a problem, but Mr. Usoro has been able to show that quality. It’s not always about the money but what one can offer.]]>