Nigeria’s 2019 World Para Powerlifting Invitational Championship Silver Medalist Ini Ekpenyong has been reported dead.
The 46-year old died after a very brief illness. According to his wife Anuli Ekpenyong, the silver medalist who lifted 107kg in the World Para Powerlifting World Cup in 2019 died since November 1, 2019 in his house in Ikorodu and was yet to be buried.
Ekpenyong’s widow, Anuli Epkenyong explained that he was only sick for three days.
“He was sick for only three days. He complained of headache which he also said was disturbing his eyeballs and his back.
He said it felt like his eyes wanted to come out from its sockets, so we took him to a hospital on Monday in Ikorodu town because that’s where we live.
“We stayed in the hospital for three days and on the fourth day which was a Thursday, the doctor said we should take him home because they said it was not what could be handled in the hospital. His blood pressure was too high.
“We left and I carried him to a church on Thursday.
The church belonged to one Calabar man. The pastor said that we should take him home and that they will come on Friday to do an all night vigil for him. So I took him home. Even that night, one of his friends called Niyi came with one man to ‘work’ for him. Niyi is his best friend and also a powerlifter. When the man finished, he left.
“Around 7 or 8 o’clock, my husband who was talking well before then suddenly started breathing abnormally. I ran outside and called people to come and help me. People came and held him and before I knew what was happening, he gave up ”
Ini Ekpenyong was a resilient weightlifter though not much of him was known before his death. Ekpenyong who was just beginning to come to limelight. As an up coming athlete, though started powerlifting in 1996, he represented Delta state in the national sports festival and they employed him.
He was a Lagos athlete. A very good one, Sports247 gathered. His representation of Nigeria was limited. Reason being that Nigeria do not go to international para powerlifting competitions with heavyweights because internationally, the heavyweights push around 290kg to 300kg. But here, we lift about 200kg. It was also gathered by Sports247 that the heaviest Ekpenyong lifted was 170kg.
Until his death, Ini Ekpenyong worked with the delta state sports commission. He was employed by the state after competing for them in the national sports festival in Abuja. He is survived by the wife and two children.
