AN 18-year-old Italian volleyball star of Nigerian descent Julia Ituma, has died tragically after falling from the window of her hotel just hours after her team was knocked out of their Champions League semi-final clash.
Ituma, described as the ‘next big thing’ in volleyball was found motionless on the ground outside the Valley Hotel in Istanbul, Turkey at around 5.30 am on Thursday morning.
She was pronounced dead by paramedics and emergency responders who arrived at the scene a short while after her fall from the sixth floor.
The rising star had been representing her team Igor Gorgonzola Novara in their second-leg knockout clash with Turkish side Eczacibasi Dynavit Istanbul, where she had scored two points despite their loss.
Local police confirmed that they have launched an investigation into the incident. Her body has since been sent for forensic examination to determine the cause of the tragic death.
The Italian consulate in Turkey said they were working closely with officials in the country and providing support to Ituma’s family.
Ituma was born in 2001 in Milan to Nigerian parents and was considered one of the most promising talents in Italian volleyball. She started playing volleyball at the age of 11.
This was her first season with Igor Gorgonzola Novara, having transferred from Club Italia three seasons earlier.
Ituma had just finished the season with Igor where they finished fifth in the national Serie A1 league.