Press Statement: Daniel Igali on Being Selected Flagbearer to the 17th Commonwealth Games

June 4 2002

EIGHT YEARS AGO, I WOULDN'T HAVE DREAMT THAT I WOULD BE CARRYING THE HOPES OF THE CANADIAN NATION TO THE COMMONWEALTH GAMES SOMEDAY.
THE GAMES IN MANCHESTER ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO ME, IT MEANS MORE THAN JUST ANOTHER TOURNAMENT TO ME. THE COMMONWEALTH GAMES IN 1994 SIGNALLED THE START OF A NEW LIFE FOR ME, A BETTER LIFE. MY ATHLETIC JOURNEY WILL NOT BE COMPLETE UNTIL I COMPETE AT THE VERY GAMES THAT HAS BROUGHT ME TO WHERE I AM TODAY.

IN SYDNEY AFTER MY GOLD MEDAL PERFORMANCE, I SAID I HAD COME FULL CYCLE, I HAVE SINCE COME TO REALIZE THAT THE CYCLE IS NOT COMPLETE UNTIL I GO TO THE COMMONWEALTH GAMES. THE CYCLE WILL EVEN BE MORE COMPLETE IF I PLACE BETTER THAN THE 11TH PLACE FINISH I RECORDED AT THE 1994 COMMONWEALTH GAMES.

THE COMMONWEALTH GAMES, FOR ME, IS THE GAMES OF DESTINY. A COMPETITION FAR DIFFERENT FROM THE OLYMPICS OR THE PAN AMERICAN GAMES. WHILE WE WILL STRIVE TO COMPETE AT OUR BEST AND POST GREAT RESULTS,IT WILL ALSO BE ABOUT MAKING FRIENDS, ABOUT CELEBRATING THE COMMONWEALTH. TALKING ABOUT THE COMMONWEALTH, THIS IS ALSO AN OPPORTUNITY TO MENTION THAT I AM WORKING WITH THE SPORTS DEVELOPMENT ARM OF THE COMMONWEALTH GAMES SOCIETY THROUGH CIDA, TO HELP WITH
MY SCHOOL PROJECT IN NIGERIA.

AS MOST OF US ARE AWARE, WRESTLING, MY SPORT, HAS VERY STRONG SHOWINGS AT THE COMMONWEALTH GAMES. IN 1994, THE CANADIAN WRESTLING TEAM WON 9 OUT OF TEN POSSIBLE GOLD MEDALS. THIS YEAR'S TEAM ALSO LOOKS EQUALLY COMPETENT. I AM HAPPY TO SEE THAT THE CANADIAN CONTINGENT TO THE COMMONWEALTH GAMES IS STAR STUDDED, WE HOPE THIS WILL BE ONE OF OUR BEST PERFORMANCE YET.

I WANT TO REITERATE ONCE AGAIN MY SINCERE AND ABSOLUTE GRATITUDE FOR BEING NAMED AS CANADA'S FLAGBEARER TO THE COMMONWEALTH GAMES IN MANCHESTER LATER THIS MONTH. MY MOST SINCERE THANKS GO TO ALL THE SPONSORS, SPORTS ADMINISTRATORS, VOLUNTEERS, COACHES AND ATHLETES WHO HAVE SPENT YEARS AND MONTHS PREPARING FOR THIS EVENT. I ALSO WANT TO THANK ALL THE AMATEUR SPORTS MEDIA FOR MOT FORGETTING US IN THE SCHEME OF THINGS.

ON BEHALF OF ALL THE ATHLETES, I WANT TO ASSURE CANADA THAT THAT WE WILL DO YOU PROUD AT THE COMMONWEALTH GAMES. GOD BLESSES YOU ALL.