A former lawn tennis player, Tanya Okpala has shared her heartbreaking story.
Tanya Okpala gained prominence about 72 hours ago when a video of the ex-US-based player roaming the streets in Awka went viral.
The video shows her sharing her struggles and how she was frustrated due to being taunted for being biracial.
She said, “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.
“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.”
The video soon caught the attention of Governor Soludo, who ordered her to be rehabilitated and subsequently put in the custody of the Anambra State Government.
In another video, Okpala narrated her heartbreaking story to the Anambra State Commissioner for Women and Social Welfare, Ify Obinabo.
While her father is from Nkpologwu Community in Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State, Ms. Okpala’s mother is from Belarus. Her life changed when she lost her mother to breast cancer in 2017. Things got worse two years later when she lost her job and also got pregnant with her Liberian boyfriend.
Okpala, who recalled that she had participated in various tennis tournaments all over the world, said she had gotten a scholarship to study at Howard University, United States of America, in 1999. Watch the full video here
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