18-year-old Italian-Nigerian volleyball star dies after jumping from 6th-floor hotel window in Turkey
Julia Ituma, an Italian volleyball player of Nigerian heritage, died at the age of 18 following a suspected fall from the 6th-floor window of her hotel room in Istanbul, Turkey.
Ituma was a standout athlete for the Igor Gorgonzola Novara Club. The disaster happened immediately after Novara’s Champions League semi-final match against Eczacibasi Dynavit Istanbul of Turkey.
According to an Istanbul police statement, Ituma’s corpse was discovered in front of the hotel on Thursday morning. Ituma was seen on security camera strolling down the corridor and entering her hotel room “for the last time.” The athlete was apparently on the phone while out on a walk. She also waited for an hour at her hotel room door, seeming “pensive and thoughtful” before the event.
Julia Ituma’s death, according to the Italian Volleyball Federation, was a tragedy that devastated not just the volleyball world but all of Italian sports. The Federation expressed its condolences and pledged its full support to Ituma’s family.
The Igor Gorgonzola Novara club expressed their sorrow as well, calling the player’s loss a “deep pain.”
“Igor Volley wishes to express their condolences and share in the pain of Julia’s family and loved ones,” the team stated in a statement. The club and all of its members, who are devastated by the loss, will maintain a respectful quiet on the subject.”
Eczacbaş Dynavit, Ituma’s Champions League opponent, also expressed sympathy.
On Twitter, the club said, “Our club and players are deeply saddened by the tragic news of Igor Gorgonzola player Julia Ituma’s sudden passing. We send our condolences to our beloved Julia’s family, Novara family, and the volleyball community. Rest in peace, Julia.”
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