A Nasarawa State medal-winning Taekwondo athlete, Maria Uchenna Raphael, was on Friday evening, August 26, 2022, reportedly killed by an articulated vehicle in Lafia, the state capital.
The incident occured barely few hours after she returned from a championship in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, where she represented the state.
The death of Maria was contained in a statement issued in Lafia by the Public Relations Officer of the Nasarawa State Ministry of Youths and Sport, Eche Amos.
The statement read in parts: “Maria was crushed to death by an articulated vehicle (trailer) along UAC Road here in Lafia, while on her way to purchase some items from a grocery store in the evening of Friday, 26th August, 2022, few hours after returning home from a championship in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, where she represented Nasarawa State.
“At the 15th edition of the Panamai West African and Cottage Mills Taekwondo Championship held early this month in Lagos, the late Maria Raphael was one of the athletes who inspired Team Nasarawa to finish 4th position on the medals’ table as she won a bronze medal in the -46kg Women’s Category at the Championship.
“She also won silver medal for Team Nasarawa at the recently concluded Bayelsa Open Taekwondo Championships held between 21st and 24th August, 2022, in Yenagoa.”
According to the statement, “the deceased was a committed and focused athlete, winning medals of different categories for Nasarawa State, ranging from Cadet, Junior and the Senior Category.”
The statement, however, concluded that Maria’s demise was an unquantifiable loss to everyone at the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development and Nasarawa State as a whole, while her immense contributions will be sorely missed.
