Daniel Igali of Burnaby, B.C., became Canada's first men's world wrestling
champion in September when he won six straight bouts to claim the gold
medal in the men's 69 kilograms division at the world freestyle wrestling
championships in Turkey
Igali, who didn't return to his home in Nigeria after the 1994 Commonwealth
Games because of political unrest, dedicated his victory to his adoptive
Canadian mother in Burnaby who was undergoing treatment for cancer. She
passed away a few weeks later.
"I was very much inspired at the worlds to do well for my adoptive Mom,"
said Igali, a 25-year-old criminology student at Simon Fraser University
who also qualified for the 2000 Olympics with the win.
Three weeks before the worlds, Igali tore his meniscus in his left knee and
there was some doubts whether he could compete. He immediately underwent
arthroscopic knee surgery after suffering the injury in training.
"I thought when I was injured that the worlds were a write-off for me.
But my coaches (Dave McKay and Mike Jones), kept the faith and told me to
hang on. They told me to do the therapy I needed to do. I started training
again a week after my 'scope'. It didn't feel so good but we kept at it
anyway."
At the 1994 Commonwealth Games in Victoria, Igali placed 11th but didn't
make the return trip home. "There were political problems in Nigeria at
the time but I also wanted to further my education and be a better
wrestler," said Igali, who ambitions to be a police officer with the
Vancouver Police Department. "I am so glad I stayed and I don't regret it
for one second although leaving my family behind was a very difficult
decision."
The 2000 Sydney Games will be Igali's first Olympics. He just missed the
cut for the Nigerian team in 1992 and wasn't eligible to compete for Canada
in 1996.
2000 Games
Oct. 1: 69-kg: Daniel Igali, Surrey, B.C., won gold medal.
Sept. 30: 69-kg: Daniel Igali, Surrey, B.C., def. Amir Tavakolian Haghighi, Iran, 2-2, OT, 9:00, to advance to quarter-finals.
2000 Games Wrestling Coverage
