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By Abdulwaheed Olayinka Adubi
A taekwondo athlete in Nasarawa State, Maria Raphael, has been crushed to death.
The deceased, who won a silver medal for team Nasarawa in the just concluded Bayelsa Open Taekwondo, was crushed by a truck in Lafia, the state capital, on Friday.
The deceased lost her life after purchase some items from a grocery store along UAC road in Lafia.
The talented athlete won a bronze medal 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.
She was in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, where she represented Nasarawa in a championship which held between August 21 and 24, 2022.
In a statement, the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, described the death as an unquantifiable loss, saying her immense contributions to sports in the state would be sorely missed.
“Maria was crushed to death (sic) 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.
“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,” read the statement signed by Eche Amos, spokesman of the ministry.