Soludo reacts as disturbing video of ex-tennis champion Tanya Okpala goes viral

By Taiwo Okanlawon

Governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra  State has ordered the rehabilitation of Tanya Okpala, the lawn tennis player who represented Nigeria in championships in the 1990s.

Okpala is a half-caste; her mother is from Belarus while her dad hails from Anambra.

A now-viral video of the US-based ex-lawn tennis star wandering the streets of Awka, the state capital, and begging for a soft drink surfaced online over the weekend.

In the video, Okpala, who appeared distressed and unstable, was seen lamenting about her situation. She said she had been abandoned and neglected.

The former tennis player said people often taunt her for being a half-caste and tell her to “go back to your country”.

“The whole world hears my story and they laugh at me. I do not know why they laugh at me. They will say ‘Go back to your country’. I am just tired. I am okay. Even though I am a half-cast I consider myself a black Igbo. I am going to the village tomorrow to look after my daughter until further notice,” she said.

“… even if it’s just water, but I would prefer something like a Sprite. As I am now, I just ate four puff-puff.

“I was a former lawn tennis champion in Nigeria. I do not know if you are familiar with Tanya Okpala and Jacqueline Okwueze during those days. I played tennis for Nigeria and Africa.”

Reacting to the video in a post via X, Soludo said the tennis player is now in the custody of the state government.

He revealed that the government will help Okpala and ensure her “fruitful reunion with her daughter and family”.

“Tanya Okpala (Fmr Tennis champion) is now in the custody of the Anambra State Government. She was with the Commissioner of Women Affairs when my wife spoke with her on the phone. My government will ensure her rehabilitation and fruitful reunion with her daughter and family,” the post reads.