Olympic boxer Jeremiah Okorodudu dies at 64
Former Nigerian Olympic boxer, Jeremiah ‘Jerry’ Okorodudu, died at a private hospital in Lawandon, Lagos on Wednesday night after battling with foot ulcer that left him bedridden for weeks.
Okorodudu’s wife, Adenike, confirmed the news of his death to The PUNCH.
However, Adenike said the hospital was not willing to release her husband’s corpse until the outstanding N600,000 medical bill is paid.
He was aged 64.
It was reported last week that the Olympian was feeling better following several transfers from different hospitals, mainly due to lack of funds, before he was brought to the Lawandon hospital.
Secretary-General, Nigeria Boxing Board of Control and the President, West Africa Boxing Union, Remi Aboderin, also confirmed that the Olympian had passed away.
The Vice President, Nigeria Boxing Federation, Azania Omo-Agege, sent his wife some money on Tuesday for the hospital bills of the former boxer.
“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.
Jeremiah Okorodudu represented Nigeria at the Los Angeles 1984 Olympic Games, where he competed in the middleweight category.
The Olympic boxer was a gold medallist at the Oluyole 1979 National Sports Festival in Ibadan.
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.
