Former Nigerian boxer, Jeremiah Okorodudu, died at a private hospital in Lagos Wednesday night after battling with foot ulcer that left him bedridden for weeks.
His widow, Mrs Adenike Okorodudu confirmed the death of the former boxer fondly called ‘Urhobo Loud Mouth’ at the prime of his career.
Okorodudu was a Bronze Medalist at the 1982 Commonwealth Games in Brisbane, Australia. He was controversially edged out at the quarterfinals of the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles on 3-2 split decision by North Korean Sun Sho. It was at that edition of the Olympic Games Peter Konyegwachie won Silver in the Featherweight category.
However, Adenike said the hospital was not willing to release her husband’s corpse until the outstanding medical bill the amount which is yet to be confirmed as at the time of filing this report is paid.
“He is dead now but we still need to pay the hospital to get his body out”, Adenike said. He was aged 64.
It will be recalled that it was reported last week that Okorodudu was feeling better following several transfers from different hospitals, mainly due to lack of funds, before he was brought to the hospital.
The President, West Africa Boxing Union, Remi Aboderin, and Secretary-General, Nigeria Boxing Board of Control also confirmed that the Olympian has passed away.
Aboderin said: “It is unfortunate that he died this way, and I am actually lost for words. May his soul rest in peace,” he said.
The Vice President, Nigeria Boxing Federation, Azania Omo-Agege, however, said he sent Okorodudu’s wife some money on Tuesday for the hospital bills.
“I just sent them money yesterday (Tuesday). I sent them N100,000 and we were planning for the amputation of his leg on Friday, this is very sad,” he said.
Okorodudu represented Nigeria at the Los Angeles 1984 Olympic Games, where he competed in the middleweight category.
His medical predicament began in 2020 with a boil affliction that affected his mobility. He then had a successful surgery at Dans Hospital, Ikorodu, Lagos.
But his health condition relapsed after he was diagnosed with foot ulcer and suffered a stroke.