“She Represented Nigeria in 1990”: Former Tennis Champion Now Roams Streets Like Pauper, Seeks Help
- A video of Tanya Okpala having a chat with a man on the streets of Awka, Anambra state has gone viral on social media
- Tanya, who is a half-cast with a mother from Belarus and a Nigerian father of the Igbo tribe, represented Nigeria in tennis during the 1990s
- The former tennis champion appeared unstable in the viral video and has been taken by the government for rehabilitation
Former Nigerian professional tennis player, Tanya Okpala, was recently found wandering the streets of Awka, Anambra state.
In a video shared by @chude_ on X, the tennis champion revealed how she found it hard to believe that Nigeria had forgotten her.
Former tennis champion roaming the streets
Photo credit: @Chude Nnamdi/ X.Source: TikTok
Former tennis champion wandering the streets
According to Tanya, she had been labelled a prostitute and mad woman by people in the area.
She also lamented that people always advised her to return to her country because she’s a half-cast but she considers herself an Igbo lady.
The half-cast with a Belarus mother and Igbo father revealed that she was planning to return to her village and take care of her daughter.
In her words:
“The whole world hears my story and they laugh at me. They ask me to go back to my country. I was a former lawn tennis champion in Nigeria. I don’t know if you are familiar with Tanya Okpala and Jacqueline Okwueze during those days.
“I played tennis for Nigeria and Africa. I’m not asking for much just a little bit of help. I’ve been labelled a prostitute in this area, another of my names here is ‘onye ara’.”
Okpala is said to have practised as an immigration lawyer in the United States for some time.
Reactions trail video of Tanya
Netizens felt pity for the former tennis champion and prayed for a turnaround in her life.
Collins said:
“Omo this one pain me. O! i feel for her, hope y’all find her and we collectively help her. it does not matter whats her story, she deserves better.”
@khay9yne reacted:
“Probably substance abuse. But as someone already said, our child is forever our child; a national star deserves better than this.”
@SotChi said:
“She needs to be rehabilitated. Shame to those that ask her to go back to her country, we don’t do that here. our child is our child, except they choose otherwise.”
@_seventhson said:
“Tennis winner, immigration Texas lawyer to this nah bro, indeed nothing remains permanent under the sun.”
@brownjust reacted:
“She used to stroll around Oko-Ekwulobia axis before she was unseen. She has a daughter that she moves around with also She’s quite brilliant though suffering from addiction. She says her father is from Nanka in Aguata LGA.”
@5f7395d6d4034e1 said:
“Nigeria government seem to have no responsibility at all, citizens take care of their security, mental health, power, fix the roads to their houses themselves, no functional public health, provide jobs for themselves, what then is the role of the government.”
See the post below:
Millionaire who had many properties goes broke
Meanwhile, TheTalk.NG previously reported that Dorcas Kagendo, a 50-year-old lady who was once a millionaire, has cried out that well-meaning individuals should come to her aid. The Kenyan lady from a broken home achieved career success in her thirties and became rich, owning properties and cars.
Dorcas who was spotted seeking alms from people on the street shared with Afrimax how she got rich. She was raised by her mother and never got to see her father to date. After she graduated from school, she worked hard and first got a job as a secretary and then as an office administrator.
From there, she began earning millions. At 33, she was a millionaire and bought lots of vehicles. She also bought lands, houses and other properties. She got married and had a kid but was abandoned by her husband later on. Pictures of her cars were held up in the video as well as how she looked when the going was good.
Source: TheTalk.NG
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