The entire Nigerian spots community was thrown into morning at the start of this weekend, following reports that one of the country’s most promising para-athletes had died in a road accident in Oyo State, megasportsarena.com reports.
Paralympic Committee Nigeria (PCN) president, retired Brigadier-General Emico Eruwa led the dirges, as confirmation erupted that one of the country’s medal hopefuls at the upcoming Paralympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, Abdulrafiu Bello was involved in an auto crash on Thursday.
Bello, who was also Africa’s representative on the board of World Para-Badminton Federation, was due in Spain next month for the last round of qualifiers for Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, but he died after succumbing to injuries he sustained in the accident that occurred between Oyo and Ogbomoso.
Eruwa prayed that God should grant the late athlete a resting place in his bosom and for those he left behind to gain the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss, while PCN secretary general, Isa Suleiman said it was a huge loss for the country.
Suleiman further disclosed that Bello, who was Africa’s number one para-badminton player, met his untimely death when the vehicle he was travelling with was involved in a ghastly accident that claimed his life while returning from Lagos.
Bello, who was also a coach with Kwara State Para-Badminton Association, was heading back to his base after attending an interview at the Embassy of Spain to procure an entry visa for the last round of the Tokyo 2020 Para-badminton qualifiers slated for May 6 in Spain.
Eruwa said the news of the star’s death came to him as rude shock and big loss to the country, even at a time when the PCN is busy planning strategies on how Nigeria will have a good outing in Tokyo, and he adding: “More so, when Bello is at the verge of winning laurels for Nigeria at the Games.”
Kwara State governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq also described Bello’s death as devastating, painful and a huge setback for Nigeria’s contingent to the upcoming Tokyo Paralympics, even as he lamented thus: “This is a huge loss to not just the Para-badminton community in Nigeria but to the entire sports community across Africa.
“Bello was one of the best para-badminton players of all time. His death is truly tragic. The government deeply mourns this great talent who left his footprints in the sand of time.
“I therefore commiserate with his immediate family, including his pregnant wife, and the entire sporting community in Kwara State and Nigeria as a whole. We will miss him a great deal. I pray the Almighty God to console the family he left behind and grant his soul eternal rest.”
