How Nigerian female wrestler nearly died after winning gold in Congo

President of Nigeria Wrestling Federation, Hon. Daniel Igali has revealed that one of the female wrestlers, Patience Opuene nearly died shortly after winning gold for Nigeria at the just concluded All Africa Games in Congo Brazzaville.

Speaking to Daily Trust, Igali who doubles as the Technical Director of Nigeria Olympics Committee said they departed for the games, he told the wrestlers that if they representing Nigeria, they would be buried as national heroes.

“Anytime I talk to my athletes, I tell that I was an Olympic gold medallist and world champion and all that and I am now the president of Nigeria Wrestling Federation but God forbid, if I die now in Bayelsa State, my friends within and outside the country will gather and say he was a good man and I will be buried.

“But if I am representing Nigeria and something happens and I die on national duty, I will be buried as a hero.

“I told them that every wrestler going out there to represent Nigeria, if it means giving your life, be ready to die”.

Igali then explained how Patience laid down her life to win gold for Nigeria in Congo.

“This girl, Patience Opuene had concussion in her quarter final match but she did not tell anybody. But during her semi-final match, I noticed something because she was looking clueless. Sometimes I had to stop the match and shout on her to wake her up.

Igali said after the semi-final match, he walked up to the female wrestler and asked her what was happening and she said “oga I am not myself but I am prepared to go and die on that mat for Nigeria.

“She went, wrestled and won a gold medal for Nigeria. The next day at 8 am she slumped and was in coma for 10 hours. These are things we don’t tell the press. They did not even tell me because some of the wrestlers were going to compete that morning when she was being rushed to the critical side of the hospital. I was not told until we completed our matches for the day.

“The next morning the NSC Director General, Alhassan Yakmut and I went to see her in the hospital. Right there on the bed, she was reminding me that if she had died, Nigeria would have given her a heroine’s burial.”

Igali therefore said his wrestlers are always ready to die for the country because they believe in him and the country.