By Daily Sports on July 22, 2019

I will disappoint many that prevailed on me after Nigeria lost to Algeria, in the semi-finals, to take a swipe on the NFF on why Gernot Rohr's sack has not been announced, instead of this pat on the back and a near clean bill of health, with his contract retained.

Let me make it clear, as I told my fans that the NFF has right to its decision, as it suits it and anything other than that would amount to pouring water on a stone. That said, I won't like to join issues nor enter their mess.

I think the team performed to the extent its strength could carry it and finishing third in the competition is not a bad outing after all.

The curtain for the 2019 edition of Africa’s apex football summit held in Egypt, was drawn last week Friday, with Algeria crowned as the kings of the continent. Truth is that the tournament lived up to its billing as it recorded many unpredictable results, which has further strengthened the biannual football summit’s steady progress.

Pundits and analysts were caught pants down, as most of the countries they tipped to make it to the finals fell by the wayside. The article will not go down memory lane to reel out the nitty-gritty of the month-long competition, other than that it can safely be described as that of mixed grill. The mighty fell by the wayside; that alone contributed to the suspense which is the name of the game.

The Egypt 2019 game gave fans much to cheer and it also further helped to announce that minnows in football can never be ignored next time, as they can spring many surprises than what we all witnessed during the recently concluded festival. It was a well organised and foremost there was no security breach and all the countries, friends of African football, CAF and FIFA officials have all arrived safely in their respective countries. It was a great tournament of note, laced with first-rate facilities, mounted by the host country Egypt. We meet again in 2023.

Now let us go straight to our main topic for the week and it is on Daniel Igali, who has done marvelously well amongst his fellow Sports Federations Presidents, where he has placed wrestling and her wrestlers in Nigeria on the front burner, thereby topping the log as best Sports Federation boss in Nigeria.

With his antecedents since he became the President of that Federation, Wrestling has gotten a front mention and it has also put the country on the stead as re-emerging as a force in sports.   Let’s say that I have met Honourable Igali just twice; one was in Yenegoa, the Bayelsa State capital,  few years when he was just elected into the State House of Assembly and another at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja, as we were waiting to board. We exchanged deep pleasantries and discussed sports for about ten minutes before we boarded; that was in 2017.

I know he has done well in that area and it is natural we thumb up for him for a job well done so far. Daniel Igali from whatever angle you may be looking at it has shown some great grip and leadership since he started leading the federation, as our wrestlers have been on competing and championships organised to keep them in top shape. The experience garnered therefrom has helped in no smaller measure to put Nigeria in good positioning and ranking in African cum world amateur wrestling.

This piece, therefore, is to the benefit of dear readers that has little or no knowledge about this silent revolutionary and lover of the sport, who has brought back its glory and potency in the country. Enjoy...

Baraladei Daniel Igali born February 3, 1974, in Eniwari, Bayelsa State, Nigeria is a Canadian freestyle wrestler who is an Olympic gold medalist. He lives in Surrey, British Columbia. As captain of the Nigerian wrestling team, he came to Canada to compete in the 1994 Commonwealth Games. He remained in the country while seeking refugee status due to political unrest in Nigeria. He acquired citizenship in 1998.

In Canada, Igali won 116 consecutive matches wrestling at Simon Fraser University from 1997 to 1999. He placed fourth at the 1998 world championships. He finished second at the 1998 World Cup and won a bronze medal at the 1999 Pan American Games. He was coached by Nasir Lal, two-time Canadian Olympian from Afghanistan.

At the 2000 Summer Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia, Igali won a gold medal in the Men’s 69 kg freestyle wrestling. He represented Canada at the world stage. At the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, Igali won a gold medal in the Men’s 74 kg freestyle wrestling. In 2007, Igali was inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame. He was later inducted into the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame in 2012.

His wrestling career is highlighted in a television documentary directed by Joel Gordon called, “Wrestling with Destiny: The Life and Times of Daniel Igali”. The biographical documentary film was broadcast by CBC Television in 2004 as an episode of the Life and Times (TV series).[3] Igali became president of the Nigeria Wrestling Federation, creating the highest morale athletes for the 2018 Commonwealth Games, and highest medal hopefuls for Nigeria at the Games. The Nigerian team has otherwise lacklustre morale outside of wrestling.

On February 10, 2005, Igali announced that he would seek nomination as a candidate in Surrey-Newton for the British Columbia Liberal Party in the 2005 provincial election in British Columbia. He won the nomination but was defeated by New Democrat opponent Harry Bains in the election.

Personal

He completed a Master of Arts degree in criminology at Simon Fraser University, having previously attended Douglas College. While working on his master’s degree, he trained at SFU and liked to help the coach. Igali is currently the coach of the Nigerian National Wrestling Team. In November 2006 Igali was injured during a violent robbery while in Nigeria. He has shown depth and courage as an ex-international. He has given back to the sport that further brought him to internal and national limelight.  Igali is an interesting character that loved wrestling like no other as a sport. He has put and stamped his feet on the ground for the sport and if most of his counterparts have done a fraction in their respective sports, Nigerian sports would have gotten a leap forward.

It is against that inflammable background, therefore, that this page devoted this week to celebrate this Honourable who aside from his crowded schedules as a lawmaker in his State, Bayelsa, has not spared even his private time as he works to grow wrestling in the country. What other way can one write his name in gold? This column, therefore, unveiled this great sports administrator and Lawmaker. As we pray that he continues to place his interest in promoting the game of wrestling, join us on our social media handles as we further encourage this patriot.  He has done well. Let’s keep our fingers crossed till next week!!

Source Daily Sports

Posted July 22, 2019

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