Paralympics silver medallist found dead at pool side

Nigeria’s shame and the sorry state of our athletes came to the fore yet again yesterday as a Paralympics silver medalist at the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games in wheelchair table tennis, Murtala Ibrahim, died on Sunday in Lagos.

The former national champion, who hailed from Ilorin, Kwara State, was found dead close to the Swimming Pool of the National Stadium, Lagos, on his wheelchair.

Murtala, it will be recalled came to limelight when he won the national wheelchair table tennis championship in Lagos in 1991, which gave him the opportunity to be invited to the national camp.

He also represented Nigeria at the Barcelona 1992 and Atlanta 1996 Paralympic Games before winning the silver medal at Sydney 2000 Paralympics.