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Daniel Igali, a former Olympic champion and the technical adviser of
the Nigerian wrestling team, talks to Ifeanyi Ibeh about the team’s
trip to India. Excerpt:

Which wrestlers are in India?

The team is
comprised of four female and four male wrestlers, all competing in
freestyle event. We also have two technical officials, Damian Ohaike,
the technical director of the Nigeria Wrestling Federation and Tony
Obaka. The male wrestlers are Boaz Isaak (60kg), Opukiri Agala (74kg),
Adibo Dick (84kg) and Sinivie Boltic, 2010 Commonwealth champion at
96kg. The female wrestlers on the team are Lovina Odohi (55kg),
Blessing Oborodudu (63kg), Hannah Reuben (67kg) and world championship
bronze medallist Ifeoma Ihaenacho (72kg).

What is the purpose of their trip overseas and for how long will they be out of the country?

They are in India
for an international tournament in Jalandhar, Punjab from the 9th-12th
of February 2011. They will be gone for about three weeks as we have
also arranged for them to be on a training programme with the Indian
team for two weeks after the tournament. They are expected back in the
country on March 1, 2011.

They will compete
but also have ample time to train with some other international teams
for about three weeks. The Indian Wrestling Federation has been so
magnanimous to help in the way of air tickets and room and board for
the period the Nigeria wrestling team is in India.

What about you, when will you be joining your wards?

I had planned to
make my way to Jalandhar for the International tournament, but current
events have stopped me from making the trip to India. However, I will
be completely involved by way of monitoring and offering professional
advice throughout their stay in India. We have a couple of experienced
and competent coaches with the team in India.

At a time when funding appears difficult to come by, how was the team able to secure the finance to prosecute the trip?

The Indian wrestling team bankrolled about 80 per cent of the trip.

The National Sports
Commission took care of the rest. We remain very grateful to the Indian
Wrestling Federation and the National Sports Commission. I must make
particular mention of the President of the Nigeria Wrestling Federation
(Austin Edeze) and the Director General of the National Sports
Commission (Patrick Ekeji) who were instrumental in making this trip
happen.

What about
your home state, Bayelsa. They have been synonymous with the
sponsorship of wrestling events these past couple of years. What is it
about the Bayelsa State government and wrestling?

The Bayelsa state
government loves wrestling and recently bankrolled a two-week training
camp for the team before their departure to India. The Bayelsa State
governor (Timipre Sylva) has stated in unambiguous terms that he owes
no one any apology for supporting wrestling, which is Bayelsa’s highest
export to the rest of Nigeria. Bayelsa State has produced 53 African
gold medals and 18 individual African champions in wrestling. No wonder
the Governor is a staunch supporter of wrestling.

With the All Africa Games fast approaching, how do you rate Nigeria’s chances in wrestling?

Right now,
wrestling is not on the programme of the Africa Games. I suspect it
will get rectified eventually as there are too many powerful countries
in Africa that garner lots of gold medals from wrestling.

However, I won’t be
able to comment on the preparedness of the Nigerian team and our
chances until wrestling is reinstated in the All African Games
programme.

Apart from the All
Africa Games, the Olympic Games are just around the corner. What
programmes have you lined up to prepare the wrestlers for London 2012?

I have drawn up a
program which suggests that the athletes that are targeted to go to
London should compete about 12 times before the Olympics next year. We
have so far not started off badly. Having two tournaments under our
belt in February is a good way to go. I hope we can also keep pace with
the program we have lined up for the National Sports Commission.

Are there any wrestlers Nigerians and the watching world should look out for ahead of the London Games?

I have a couple of athletes that I think will spring surprises in London, however, for team cohesion, I will not mention names.

Do you think Nigeria will finally get to win a wrestling gold at the London Games?

I can’t be specific
about the medal but my aim is for Nigeria wrestling to win a medal in
London 2012 as I have between 3-4 athletes who can win a medal at the
Olympics on a good day.

What about our heroes – the duo who were injured and had to be operated on after the Commonwealth Games in India?

Amas Daniel who
lost two teeth and had an umbilical cord operation is fully recovered
and starts training by the middle of this month.

Helen Okus who had
a neck reconstruction surgery still needs six weeks to two months
before she will be fit enough to train. My gratitude goes to the
National Sports Commission, the medical staff and Ekeji for ensuring
that the athletes who put life and limb on the line for the country are
cared for when they in turn need their country to come to their aid. I
keep telling them to die on the mat for Nigeria and get a national
burial if they could. It is therefore gratifying to see that we have a
re-born National Sports Commission that takes the welfare of athletes
as top priority.

You
recently got your party’s nomination ticket for a seat in the House of
Representatives but as much as some people are glad to see a former
athlete vying for political office, there are those who feel you will
be distracted from the sport you and possibly neglect it, or what do
you think?

I would not want
any supporter of wrestling to have any fears that I will disengage from
the national wrestling team when I am voted as a House of Assembly
member in May. I fully intend to stay very much plugged in throughout
my four years in the House of Assembly, which is if I am lucky to be so
elected. I plan to give as much attention to the goal of producing
world and Olympic medals in wrestling in the next quadrennial.