Nigerian footballer, Gift Atulewa, dies at 38
By Jeffrey Agbo
Former youth international, Gift Atulewa, has died at the age of 38.
The forward becomes the third member of the 2005 U-20 set to pass away, following Olufemi Adebayo and Isaac Promise.
Atulewa succumbed to complications from high blood pressure around 7 a.m. on Tuesday, according to the spokesperson for the Delta State Football Association, Azuka Chiemeka.
“We just buried the wife last month, that may have contributed to this development,” he told Premium Times.
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Chiemeka added that Atulewa recently returned from Cote d’Ivoire where he completed a coaching course.
Speaking on Atulewa’s recent involvement in football, he said, “As we are speaking, there is an ex-international football tournament going on in Delta State and he is part of the ex Uwei where he comes from, he is part of their team, he scored the first goal of the tournament from his wonderful free kick that he is known for, he scored that goal like three weeks ago when the competition began.”
Atulewa began his career with Bayelsa United F.C. before moving to Ocean Boys F.C. and later Warri Wolves F.C., where he featured prominently.
He was a member of the Nigerian U-20 team that participated in the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship in the Netherlands.
