May 1, 2000
May 01 2000

With the impending Senior National Championships, in Thunder Bay just around the corner, the atmosphere in the wrestling room is a bit calmer. The intense sessions have been drastically reduced. Most warriors here have started to concentrate on healing nagging injuries and weight control. I am among them. Weight control is one of the things I will never miss when I retire from wrestling.

I'm looking forward to the competition as the championships. I understand there are a few new competitive entries in my weight class which can only be good for me. I need that kind of challenge right now. I want to be threatened. I want my heart to beat hard and have the urge to run to the washroom before a match. Then I know I am ready. During the week we have worked on tactics, match control and attitude. It is really a good thing to have coaches who know what they are doing. Mike and Dave have the practices planned to the last second. Wrestling, the way they treat it, is an art and a science, which needs to be refined daily.

I got a letter from Doutimi, my 9-year-old brother in Nigeria. He's been having tough times due to a few fights at school. The latest one was over an argument with an acquaintance. It started when my younger brother boasted that I could beat Hulk Hogan. Any way, the argument got heated and they got into a fight. My source tells me my younger brother came out on top. He's been barred from playing after school for a week. It all sounds very familiar. As a kid, I remember getting into scraps with friends over meaningless arguments that made sense at the time. If he keeps it up, it might just transform to another solid wrestling career. Now back to the National Championships next week. You guys can rest assured that I will not disappoint.

Keep sweating... Daniel (Dynamite) Igali.