From Esther Akaa, Lafia
A taekwondo athlete in Nasarawa State, Maria Raphael, who recently won a silver medal for team Nasarawa at the just concluded Bayelsa Open Taekwondo Championship held between August 21-24, 2022 in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State is dead.
The late Maria also won a bronze medal for the team in the 46kg women’s category at the 15th edition of the Panamai West African and Cottage Mills Taekwondo Championship, held recently in Lagos State.
A statement issued on Saturday by the Public Relations Officer (PRO), state Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, Mr Eche Amos said the illustrious athlete was crushed to death by a trailer along UAC road in Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital.
Amos explained that the deceased met her death when she went to purchase some items from a grocery on Friday, hours after returning home from the championship in Yenagoa.
“The deceased was a committed, dedicated and focused athlete, winning medals of different categories for Nasarawa State, ranging from cadet, junior and senior category, until her untimely demise.
“Maria brought lots of glory and honour to Nasarawa State. Her demise is an unquantifiable loss to everyone of us at the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development and Nasarawa State as a whole, while her immense contributions will be sorely missed,” he said.
He said the ministry has condoled with her immediate family, loved ones, fellow athletes among others and prayed God to grant her soul eternal.
