Julia Ituma Biography, Career, Death

Julia Ituma, an 18-year-old Italian-Nigerian volleyball player, has tragically died after a harrowing floor from the 6th floor of a hotel.

Julia Ituma was found dead on the morning of Thursday, April 13th 2023 at her hotel in Istanbul, Turkey, after her team had lost a Champions League volleyball game the night before.

Reports reveal Ituma had fallen out of the window of her sixth-floor room at the Volley Hotel which she was believed to have been sharing with a fellow teammate. Details on what exactly happened are sketchy.

According to CNN: Ituma was found motionless on the ground outside the Volley Hotel at around 5.30am Thursday morning. Paramedics and emergency responders arrived at the scene a short while later and she was pronounced dead.

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.

Security footage from inside the hotel shows Ituma talking on the phone in a hallway in the evening hours, and then sitting outside the door to her room for about an hour in a “pensive and thoughtful” way, before entering her room for the last time, police said.

“We are all dismayed by this tragedy which affects not only the volleyball world but all of Italian sport,” the Italian Volleyball Federation President Giuseppe Manfredi said in a statement.

“My first thought goes to Julia’s family, to whom I send my deepest condolences and guarantee that the Italian Volleyball Federation will provide maximum support,” he added.

Julia Ituma Biography / Wikipedia

Julia Ituma was an Italian volleyball player of Nigerian origin who tragically died on April 13th 2023 at the age of 18 following a fall from Vally Hotel in Turkey.

Ituma was born on October 8th, 2004 in Milan to Nigerian parents. She was 18 years old before her death.

The young superstar was considered one of the most promising talents in Italian volleyball. She had started playing volleyball at the age of 11, admiring volleyball stars like Robertlandy Simon as she grew up.

Last year, Ituma won a gold medal at the European Championship and the European Youth Olympic Festival with the Under-19 Italian national team. Prior to that, she had been a runner-up with the Under-18 side after their 2021 defeat to Russia.

Career

Julia Ituma was a player for the Italian volleyball club, Igor Gorgonzola Novara.

This was her first season with Igor Gorgonzola Novara. She previously played for three seasons with Club Italia.

Ituma played for Igor Volley the night before her death in a volleyball Champions League semifinal against Turkish side Eczacıbaşı Dynavit.

Both teams released a statement following Ituma’s death.

“Igor Volley communicates the untimely death of the Italian volleyball player Julia Ituma with deep pain and emotion.

“The tragedy allegedly occurred in the early hours of the day and the Turkish police are investigating the dynamics of what happened.

“Igor Volley all wishes to express their condolences and participation in the pain of Julia’s family and loved ones. The club and all its members, heartbroken by the loss, will keep a respectful silence on the matter.'”

Eczacibasi, the team Ituma had faced yesterday, also released a statement: “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.”

Former national team coach Mauro Berruto responded to the heartbreaking news on Twitter. He wrote: “I am shocked by the tragic passing of Julia Ituma, an eighteen-year-old volleyball player from Igor Novara. My embrace to the family, to the club, to the entire large community of Italian volleyball,”