Daniel Igali
Encyclopedia
Baraladei Daniel Igali (born February 3, 1974 in Eniwari, Bayelsa State
, Nigeria
) is a Canadian
freestyler wrestler
who is an Olympic gold medalist. He lives in Surrey, British Columbia
.
. He remained in the country while seeking refugee status due to political unrest in Nigeria. He acquired citizenship in 1998.
In Canada, Igali won 116 consecutive matches wrestling at Simon Fraser University
from 1997 to 1999. He placed fourth at the 1998 world championships. He finished second at the 1998 World Cup and won a bronze medal at the 1999 Pan American Games
.
At the 2000 Summer Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia, Igali won a gold medal in the Men's 69 kg freestyle wrestling. He represented Canada at the world stage.
At the 2002 Commonwealth Games
in Manchester, Igali won a gold medal in the Men's 74 kg freestyle wrestling.
for the British Columbia Liberal Party
in the 2005 provincial election
in British Columbia
. He won the nomination, but was defeated by New Democrat
opponent Harry Bains
in the election.In January 2011, Daniel Igali won the PDP democratic primaries for the House of assembly seat in Southern Ijaw, constituency 3.
Daniel Igali contested for the House of assembly seat in the general elections, representing constituency 3, Southern Ijaw, bayelsa State, sponsored by the PDP and won elections in April, 2011. Igali is currently the honorable member representing the fabulous people of Southern Ijaw constituency 3, in Bayelsa State, Nigeria.
candidate in the criminology
department at Simon Fraser University
, having previously attended Douglas College
. He still trains at SFU and likes to help coach. Igali is currently the coach of the Nigerian National Wrestling Team.
In November 2006 Igali was injured during a violent robbery while in Nigeria.
Daniel enjoys playing kabaddi
and is really close to the Punjabi community in Surrey, B.C.
Bayelsa State
Bayelsa State is a state in southern Nigeria in the core Niger Delta region, between Delta State and Rivers State. Its capital is Yenagoa. The language spoken here is Ijaw language and dialects of the Ijaw language such as Nembe, Atissa, Akassa, Ogbia, etc. However, like the rest of Nigeria,...
, Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
) is a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
freestyler wrestler
Wrestling
Wrestling is a form of grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, between two competitors or sparring partners, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position...
who is an Olympic gold medalist. He lives in Surrey, British Columbia
Surrey, British Columbia
Surrey is a city in the province of British Columbia, Canada. It is a member municipality of Metro Vancouver, the governing body of the Greater Vancouver Regional District...
.
Wrestling career
As captain of the Nigerian wrestling team he came to Canada to compete in the 1994 Commonwealth Games1994 Commonwealth Games
The 1994 Commonwealth Games were held in Victoria, in the province of British Columbia in Canada, from 18 August to 28 August 1994.The XV Commonwealth Games marked South Africa's return to the Commonwealth Games following the apartheid era, and over 30 years since the country last competed in the...
. He remained in the country while seeking refugee status due to political unrest in Nigeria. He acquired citizenship in 1998.
In Canada, Igali won 116 consecutive matches wrestling at Simon Fraser University
Simon Fraser University
Simon Fraser University is a Canadian public research university in British Columbia with its main campus on Burnaby Mountain in Burnaby, and satellite campuses in Vancouver and Surrey. The main campus in Burnaby, located from downtown Vancouver, was established in 1965 and has more than 34,000...
from 1997 to 1999. He placed fourth at the 1998 world championships. He finished second at the 1998 World Cup and won a bronze medal at the 1999 Pan American Games
1999 Pan American Games
The 1999 Pan American Games, officially the XIII Pan American Games or the 13th Pan American Games, was a major international multi-sport event that was held from July 23-August 8, 1999 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Approximately 5,000 athletes from 42 nations participated at the games. The 1999...
.
At the 2000 Summer Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia, Igali won a gold medal in the Men's 69 kg freestyle wrestling. He represented Canada at the world stage.
At the 2002 Commonwealth Games
2002 Commonwealth Games
The 2002 Commonwealth Games were held in Manchester, England from 25 July to 4 August 2002. The XVII Commonwealth Games was the largest multi-sport event ever to be held in the UK, eclipsing London's 1948 Summer Olympics in numbers of teams and athletes participating.After the 1996 Manchester...
in Manchester, Igali won a gold medal in the Men's 74 kg freestyle wrestling.
Politics
On February 10, 2005, Igali announced that he would seek nomination as a candidate in Surrey-NewtonSurrey-Newton
Surrey-Newton is a provincial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, Canada.- Demographics :- Member of Legislative Assembly :Its MLA is Harry Bains. He was first elected in 2005, and was re-elected in 2009...
for the British Columbia Liberal Party
British Columbia Liberal Party
The British Columbia Liberal Party is the governing political party in British Columbia, Canada. First elected for government in 1916, the party went into decline after 1952, with its rump caucus merging with the Social Credit Party for the 1975 election...
in the 2005 provincial election
British Columbia general election, 2005
The 38th British Columbia general election was held on May 17, 2005, to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of British Columbia , Canada. The BC Liberal Party formed the government of the province prior to this general election under the leadership of Premier Gordon Campbell...
in British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
. He won the nomination, but was defeated by New Democrat
New Democratic Party of British Columbia
The New Democratic Party of British Columbia is a social-democratic political party in British Columbia, Canada. The party currently forms the official opposition to the governing British Columbia Liberal Party following the 2009 provincial election in British Columbia.The BC NDP is the provincial...
opponent Harry Bains
Harry Bains
Harry Bains is the current MLA for Surrey-Newton in the Canadian province of British Columbia. He was elected to the Legislative Assembly in the 2005 election as a member of the British Columbia New Democratic Party.- Career :...
in the election.In January 2011, Daniel Igali won the PDP democratic primaries for the House of assembly seat in Southern Ijaw, constituency 3.
Daniel Igali contested for the House of assembly seat in the general elections, representing constituency 3, Southern Ijaw, bayelsa State, sponsored by the PDP and won elections in April, 2011. Igali is currently the honorable member representing the fabulous people of Southern Ijaw constituency 3, in Bayelsa State, Nigeria.
Personal
He is currently a Master of ArtsMaster of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
candidate in the criminology
Criminology
Criminology is the scientific study of the nature, extent, causes, and control of criminal behavior in both the individual and in society...
department at Simon Fraser University
Simon Fraser University
Simon Fraser University is a Canadian public research university in British Columbia with its main campus on Burnaby Mountain in Burnaby, and satellite campuses in Vancouver and Surrey. The main campus in Burnaby, located from downtown Vancouver, was established in 1965 and has more than 34,000...
, having previously attended Douglas College
Douglas College
Established in 1970, Douglas College is one of the largest public colleges in British Columbia, Canada serving 14,000 credit students, 9,000 continuing education students and 1,000 international students each year.-Programs:...
. He still trains at SFU and likes to help coach. Igali is currently the coach of the Nigerian National Wrestling Team.
In November 2006 Igali was injured during a violent robbery while in Nigeria.
Daniel enjoys playing kabaddi
Kabaddi
Kabaddi is a South Asian team sport...
and is really close to the Punjabi community in Surrey, B.C.