Former Nigerian tennis professional, Tanya Okpala, who represented the country in the 1990s, has been discovered in a distressed state, wandering the streets of Awka, Anambra State.
Tanya, born to a Belarusian mother and an Igbo father, showcased signs of mental instability in a video widely shared on social media. The former tennis champion was observed pleading for monetary assistance and beverages.
In the video, Tanya, visibly distressed and nursing a wound on her left leg, engaged in a conversation with an unidentified man. She expressed her status as a former lawn tennis player who feels abandoned and lamented being unfairly labeled as a prostitute by locals, despite identifying strongly as an Igbo woman.
Despite the challenges she faced, Tanya conveyed her plan to return to her village the following day to care for her daughter, making a heartfelt plea for support.
She said in parts, “I was a former lawn tennis champion in Nigeria. I don’t know if you are familiar with Tanya Okpala and Jacqueline Okwueze during those days. I played tennis for Nigeria and Africa.”
When asked about using any recreational center for her health, she declined to answer, stating, “I think if somebody is very mentally sick, I don’t think it is my business how the person is taking care of himself or herself.”
