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Nigeria Loses Wrestling Legend Macaulay Appah

Posted : 01 January 2026

The Honourable Commissioner for Sports Development in Bayelsa State, Daniel Igali, has expressed deep sorrow over the passing of Nigeria’s iconic wrestler, Macaulay Appah. Appah passed away on December 24, 2025, at the age of 71, following a brief illness in a hospital in Yenagoa.

Appah, a native of Ikibiri in Yenagoa Local Government Area, made history in 1984 by becoming the first African wrestling champion of Ijaw origin, winning gold at the African Wrestling Championships in Cairo, Egypt. That same year, he also became the first Ijaw man to compete at the Olympic Games, finishing fifth at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.

Beyond his international achievements, Appah was a dominant traditional wrestling champion in the former Rivers State, earning the nickname “The Water Lion” for his strength and skill. A devoted father, grandfather, uncle, and mentor, he dedicated his life to nurturing young athletes and promoting wrestling across the Niger Delta and Nigeria.

“On behalf of the Government and people of Bayelsa State, and the sports community in Nigeria, our thoughts and prayers are with his family,” Igali said. “He fought a good fight of faith and has gone home to rest. May God grant him eternal rest.” The Ministry of Sports Development will actively participate in the burial arrangements, to be announced by the family in due course.

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