Tanya Okpala is a former tennis champion who recently went viral after she was seen homeless in a viral video, find out more about her now and her life below
In the viral video, viewers saw Tanya wandering the streets of Awka, Anambra, seeking daily needs and expressing feelings of societal rejection.
Who is ex Nigerian tennis champion Tanya Okpala who has now become homeless, bio, age and family
Former nigerian tennis champion, Tanya Okpala seen loitering the streets of Awka
pic.twitter.com/wanXZD3jbx— Instablog9ja (@instablog9ja) January 29, 2024
My attention was drawn to the video in frame 1 recently and I went to look up her name and 😳😳😳 frame 2
Does anybody know this person? Tanya Okpala is her name.
Born to a Nigerian Dad and a Belarus Mom according to the video.Nigeria don fail am before, please tag relevant… pic.twitter.com/SbEJHjCXwF
— Harry 🎅 (@harrizone98) January 28, 2024
An X user named Chude Nnamdi shared the video of Tanya to raise awareness about the former star’s current condition.
Tanya Okpala bio
Tanya Okpala was a former tennis champion who was born on January 21, 1982, in Nigeria. She grew up in a sports-oriented family and emerged as a prominent figure in Nigerian tennis alongside her sister Katya during the 1990s. During their prime, the duo carved a niche for themselves by representing Nigeria in various tennis competitions. Through her success, she made major contributions to female tennis sports, coming from a country hardly known to produce any successful tennis players.
Age
As of 2024, Tanya is currently 42 years old.
Tanya Okpala struggles with drug abuse and mental health
Following her retirement from playing tennis professionally, Tanya faced a series of setbacks and challenges. Her mother, who worked as a structural engineer, passed away unexpectedly in 2017 after suffering from breast cancer. Just two years later, in 2019, she lost her job and faced an unplanned pregnancy, which resulted in financial strain.
Her daughter, who is now six years old, currently lives in the village with her elderly grandfather. According to reports, all these circumstances led to the decline of her mental health. Aside from that, she also shared experiences of societal rejection due to her mixed heritage, along with feelings of guilt for not being able to provide a better life for her child. As such, authorities claim a potential link between her struggles and mental health issues to her drug addiction.
State intervention
Following the viral video of Tanya Okpala, fans and the public have expressed concern for her well-being. As a result, Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo, who is the Governor of Anambra State, announced that state authorities have taken Tanya Okpala into custody to commit to her rehabilitation. The authorities are also set on reintegrating her with her family.
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