Nigeria Wrestling Federation president and Olympic gold medallist Daniel Igali has urged the Nigerian government and sporting authorities to ensure fair recognition for all athletes not just those in high-profile team sports.
In a reflective open letter titled “Of Eagles, Falcons, and Forgotten Champions,” Igali who also serves as Bayelsa State Commissioner for Youth and Sports praised recent presidential rewards to the Super Falcons and D’Tigress, but warned against what he described as a growing imbalance in how sporting achievements are celebrated.
“Let us not be remembered as a nation that celebrated only where the lights were brightest,” he wrote.
The Super Falcons were recently awarded $100,000, three-bedroom apartments, and national honours by President Bola Tinubu after winning a record-extending 10th WAFCON title.
Days later, the D’Tigress received similar honours following their fifth consecutive AfroBasket championship.
Earlier this year, the Super Eagles were also recognised with national awards and housing gifts for their silver-medal finish at the AFCON 2023.
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Igali commended the move, calling it “unprecedented in scope” and “a shift in the ethos of recognition”. But he added that many other athletes particularly in individual Olympic sports have remained overlooked.
Igali cited Nigeria’s performance at the African Games in Ghana, where 46 gold medals were won by athletes across sports like wrestling, athletics, weightlifting, swimming and judo with no official reception or reward from the presidency.
Photo Credit: X
He also highlighted Nigeria’s female wrestling team, which won the African Championships for a record 13th time in May, securing 10 gold medals. Their achievement, Igali said, went largely unnoticed.
“You cannot pour palm wine into only one gourd and expect the whole village to dance,” he warned.
Daniel Igali, who became the first elected president of the Nigeria Wrestling Federation in 2013, is widely regarded as one of Africa’s most successful wrestling figures.
He won Olympic gold for Canada in the men’s 69kg freestyle category at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, and followed it up with another gold at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester in the 74kg division.
In a 2019 interview with journalist Mmenyene Akpan on Comfort 95.1 FM Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Igali promised to deliver Nigeria’s first-ever Olympic wrestling medal and he kept that promise.
Under his leadership, Blessing Oborududu made history at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, becoming the first Nigerian wrestler to win an Olympic medal.
Blessing Oborududu. Photo Credit: X
She later announced her retirement during the Gateway Games, having won 12 African titles between 2010 and 2023.
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Igali clarified that his concerns are not born of envy, but of fairness. He argued that when rewards come from public funds, they should reflect national equity, not media visibility.
“What we seek is equity, not equal applause. Dignity, not dollar-for-dollar equivalence.”
Amy Okonkwo lifting the 2025 Women’s AfroBasket in Abidjan. Photo Credit: X
He also pointed to the low monthly earnings of many domestic athletes, some of whom earn less than ₦70,000 ($50), contrasting it with the millionaires in elite football and basketball teams.
The wrestling chief expressed fears of a looming two-tier sports system in Nigeria: one for well-funded, high-profile teams, and another for struggling, less-publicised athletes.
“To reward millionaires and neglect the struggling is to put yam in the barn of the well-fed, while the hungry watch from the windowsill,” he warned.
Daniel Igali. Photo Credit: X
He called on the Federal Government, state governors, and private sponsors to remember that athletes need support not just after victory, but during preparation.
Ending his letter with a tone of unity and hope, Igali urged Nigeria to ensure “every champion is seen, and no athlete is forgotten.”
“Nigeria is rich not just in oil and gas, but in spirit, talent, and resilience. Let the harvest of glory be shared fairly, for the farm was tilled by many hands.”
