Daniel Igali
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Men's freestyle wrestling | ||
Representing  Canada | ||
| Olympic Games | ||
.svg.png){kind=icon} | 2000 Sydney | Lightweight (69 kg) |
Baraladei Daniel Igali (born February 3, 1974 in Eniwari, Bayelsa State, Nigeria) is a Canadian freestyler wrestler who is an Olympic gold medalist. He lives in Surrey, British Columbia.
Wrestling career
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.
Politics
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 is currently a Master of Arts candidate in the criminology department at Simon Fraser University, having previously attended Douglas College. He still trains at SFU and likes to help coach. Igali is currently the coach of the Nigerian National Wrestling Team.[1]
In November 2006 Igali was injured during a violent robbery while in Nigeria.[2]
References
- ↑ http://olympics.thestar.com/2008/article/48095
- ↑ B.C. Olympic gold medallist Daniel Igali was stabbed and beaten by four armed robbers while visiting Nigeria, the country of his birth.
External links
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