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{{Short description|Nigerian-Canadian wrestler (born 1974)}}
{{Infobox sportsperson 
|name = Daniel Igali
|full_name = Baraladei Daniel Igali
|nationality = {{NGR}} <br> {{CAN}}
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1974|2|3}}
|birth_place = [[Eniwari]], [[Bayelsa State]], Nigeria
|show-medals = yes
|medaltemplates =
{{MedalSport|Men's [[freestyle wrestling]]}}
{{MedalCountry |{{CAN}} }}
{{MedalCompetition | [[Wrestling at the Summer Olympics|Olympic Games]] }}
[[File:Olympic rings.svg|center|80px]]
{{MedalGold|[[2000 Summer Olympics|2000 Sydney]]|[[Wrestling at the 2000 Summer Olympics – Men's freestyle 69 kg|69 kg]]}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[FILA Wrestling World Championships|World Championships]] }}
{{MedalGold|[[1999 FILA Wrestling World Championships|Ankara 1999]]|[[1999 World Wrestling Championships – Men's freestyle 69 kg|69 kg]]}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Wrestling World Cup|World Cup]]}}
{{MedalSilver|1999 Spokane|69 kg}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Pan American Games]]}}
{{MedalBronze|[[1999 Pan American Games|1999 Winnipeg]]|[[Wrestling at the 1999 Pan American Games|69 kg]]}}
{{MedalSport | [[Collegiate Wrestling]]}}
{{MedalCountry | [[Simon Fraser University|Simon Fraser]]}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[NAIA Men's Wrestling Championship|NAIA Championships]]}}
{{MedalGold|1997 Jamestown|158 lb}}
{{MedalGold|1998 Primm|158 lb}}
{{MedalGold|1999 St. Charles|165 lb}}
}}

'''Baraladei Daniel Igali''' (born February 3, 1974) is a [[Nigerian Canadians|Nigerian-Canadian]] [[Wrestling|wrestler]]. He won Canada's first ever [[Olympic Games|Olympic]] [[gold medal]] in [[Freestyle wrestling|wrestling]] at the [[2000 Summer Olympics]] and remains Canada's only male Olympic gold medalist in wrestling.

==Wrestling career==
As captain of the Nigerian wrestling team, Igali came to [[Canada]] to compete in the [[1994 Commonwealth Games]]. He remained in the country while seeking refugee status due to political unrest in Nigeria. He acquired citizenship in 1998.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Daniel Igali |url=https://bcsportshall.com/honoured_member/daniel-igali/ |access-date=2023-06-29 |website=BC Sports Hall of Fame |language=en-CA}}</ref>

Igali enrolled at [[Douglas College]] before transferring to [[Simon Fraser University]] to study [[criminology]]. He represented SFU from 1997 to 1999, winning three straight [[NAIA Men's Wrestling Championship|NAIA Championships]] and finishing with a 116-0 record in [[collegiate wrestling]].<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Daniel Igali |url=https://athletics.sfu.ca/honors/hall-of-fame/daniel-igali/37 |access-date=2023-06-29 |website=Simon Fraser University Athletics |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=2009-03-09 |title=CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY |url=http://naiahonors.com/records/WrestlingUpdatedChamp.pdf |access-date=2023-06-29 |website=NAIA Honors}}</ref> Additionally, Igali earned [[All-American#Wrestling|All-American]] honours three times and the two Gorriaran Awards (1997, 1999) for most pins in the least total time.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Hall of Fame - Daniel Igali |url=https://wrestling.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/2010-hof-daniel-igali.pdf |access-date=2023-06-29 |website=Wrestling Canada Lutte}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Manuel Gorriaran |url=https://nwhof.org/hall_of_fame/bio/66 |access-date=2023-06-29 |website=nwhof.org}}</ref>

At the [[2000 Summer Olympic Games|2000 Summer Olympics]] in [[Sydney]], [[Australia]], Igali won a gold medal for [[Wrestling at the 2000 Summer Olympics – Men's freestyle 69 kg|men's 69&nbsp;kg freestyle wrestling]]. At the [[2002 Commonwealth Games]] in Manchester, Igali won a gold medal in the Men's 74&nbsp;kg freestyle wrestling. In 2007, Igali was inducted into the [[Canada's Sports Hall of Fame]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Daniel Igali|url=http://www.sportshall.ca/stories.html?proID=490|website=Canada's Sports Hall of Fame|access-date=4 May 2018|archive-date=5 May 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180505070453/http://www.sportshall.ca/stories.html?proID=490|url-status=dead}}</ref> He was later inducted into the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame in 2012.<ref>{{cite web |title=Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame Inductees Announced |url=https://olympic.ca/2012/06/12/canadian-olympic-hall-of-fame-inductees-announced/ |website=olympic.ca |access-date=February 20, 2019 |date=June 12, 2012}}</ref>

His wrestling career is highlighted in a television documentary directed by [[Joel Gordon]] called, "Wrestling with Destiny: The Life and Times of Daniel Igali". The [[biography|biographical]] [[documentary film]] was broadcast by [[CBC Television]] in 2004 as an episode of the ''[[Life and Times (TV series)|Life and Times]]'' TV series.<ref>{{cite news|title=A teacher must grapple with the idea of playing a villain|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/a-teacher-must-grapple-with-the-idea-of-playing-a-villain/article18261012/|website=The Globe and Mail|access-date=10 August 2018}}</ref>

Igali became the first elected president of the Nigeria Wrestling Federation in 2013,<ref name=afrosportNOW-2024-04-04>{{cite web |url=https://afrosportnow.com/daniel-igali-canadas-olympic-gold-medallist-redefining-wrestling-in-nigeria/ |title= Daniel Igali: Canada's Olympic gold medallist redefining wrestling in Nigeria |author= Afrosport |date= 4 April 2024 |publisher= Afrosport &ndash; AfrosportNow }}</ref> creating the highest morale athletes for the 2018 Commonwealth Games, and highest medal hopefuls for Nigeria at the Games. The [[Nigeria at the 2018 Commonwealth Games|Nigerian team]] has otherwise lacklustre morale outside of wrestling.<ref name=GuardianNigeria-2018-03-03>{{cite news |url= https://guardian.ng/sport/nigerian-heroes-of-the-winter-olympics/ |title= Nigerian heroes of the Winter Olympics |author= Segun Odegbami |date= 3 March 2018 |publisher= The Guardian &ndash; Nigeria }}</ref> In September 2022, Igali was elected as a board member of UWW (United World Wrestling) for a five year term.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1127907/igali-uww-bureau | title=Olympic champion Igali among seven elected to UWW Bureau | date=10 September 2022 }}</ref>

==Politics==
On February 10, 2005, Igali announced that he would seek nomination as a candidate in [[Surrey-Newton (provincial electoral district)|Surrey-Newton]] for the [[British Columbia Liberal Party]] in the [[2005 British Columbia general election|2005 provincial election]] in [[British Columbia]]. He won the nomination, but was defeated by [[New Democratic Party of British Columbia|New Democrat]] opponent [[Harry Bains]] in the election.

==Personal==
He completed a [[Master of Arts]] degree in [[criminology]] at [[Simon Fraser University]], having previously attended [[Douglas College]]. While working on his master's degree, he trained at SFU and liked to help coach. Igali is currently{{when|date=November 2018}} the coach of the Nigerian National Wrestling Team.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://olympics.thestar.com/2008/article/48095 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090930073218/http://olympics.thestar.com/2008/article/48095 |archive-date=2009-09-30 |title=TheStar.com - Beijing Olympics 2008}}</ref>

In November 2006 Igali was injured during a violent robbery while in Nigeria.<ref>[http://www.canada.com/story_print.html?id=9b6bb613-2872-4163-b7a6-cd674e28c413&sponsor= B.C. Olympic gold medallist Daniel Igali was stabbed and beaten by four armed robbers while visiting Nigeria, the country of his birth.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160324103652/http://www.canada.com/story_print.html?id=9b6bb613-2872-4163-b7a6-cd674e28c413&sponsor= |date=2016-03-24 }}</ref> In 2020, he was the president of the Nigeria Wrestling Federation.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/olympics/story/_/id/28956495/nigeria-welcomes-olympics-delay-financial-fallout-worries-athletes|title = Nigeria welcomes Olympics delay, but financial fallout worries athletes|date = 26 March 2020}}</ref> He is a two-term member of the [[Bayelsa State]] assembly and also its sports commissioner.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2019/08/18/daniel-igali-my-life-in-the-ring-parliament-and-back-in-the-ring/|title=DANIEL IGALI: My Life in the Ring, Parliament and Back in the Ring|date=18 August 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://guardian.ng/sport/igali-rolls-out-plans-for-sports-development-in-bayelsa/|title = Igali rolls out plans for sports development in Bayelsa|date = 14 September 2020}}</ref>

In 2012, Igali was one of the recipients of the Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Awards presented by [[Canadian immigrant magazine|Canadian Immigrant Magazine]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Canada's Top 25 Immigrants 2012|url=https://canadianimmigrant.ca/canadas-top-25-immigrants/canadas-top-25-immigrants-2012|access-date=2021-06-18|website=Canadian Immigrant|language=en-US}}</ref>

==References==
<references/>

{{Lou Marsh Trophy}}
{{Olympic Champions freestyle wrestling lightweight}}
{{World Champions freestyle wrestling lightweight}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Igali, Daniel}}
[[Category:1974 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Black Canadian sportsmen]]
[[Category:Canadian sportsperson-politicians]]
[[Category:BC United candidates in British Columbia provincial elections]]
[[Category:Commonwealth Games competitors for Nigeria]]
[[Category:Commonwealth Games gold medallists for Canada]]
[[Category:Commonwealth Games gold medallists in wrestling]]
[[Category:Northern Star Award winners]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2000 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Naturalized citizens of Canada]]
[[Category:Nigerian emigrants to Canada]]
[[Category:Nigerian male sport wrestlers]]
[[Category:Olympic gold medalists for Canada]]
[[Category:Olympic medalists in wrestling]]
[[Category:Olympic wrestlers for Canada]]
[[Category:Pan American Games bronze medalists for Canada]]
[[Category:Pan American Games wrestlers for Canada]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Surrey, British Columbia]]
[[Category:Simon Fraser University alumni]]
[[Category:Wrestlers at the 1999 Pan American Games]]
[[Category:Wrestlers at the 1994 Commonwealth Games]]
[[Category:Wrestlers at the 2002 Commonwealth Games]]
[[Category:Wrestlers at the 2000 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Canadian male sport wrestlers]]
[[Category:Wrestlers at the 2004 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Pan American Games bronze medalists in wrestling]]
[[Category:Black Canadian politicians]]
[[Category:World Wrestling Championships medalists]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1999 Pan American Games]]
[[Category:Medallists at the 2002 Commonwealth Games]]
[[Category:Simon Fraser Red Leafs men's wrestlers]]