18-year-old Nigerian-born Italian up-and-coming volleyball star, Julia Ituma, has died after a suspected fall from a hotel room window in Turkey following the defeat of her team, Igor Gorgonzola Novara, to Turkish side Eczacibas in the Champions League semi-final.
The Turkish police said the 18-year-old Nigerian was staying on the sixth floor of a hotel in Istanbul, the capital.
The body of the Italian-born athlete of Nigerian origin was discovered at 5:30am local time in front of the hotel, Turkish daily Daily Sabah reported.
The cause of the incident, which occurred at night in the hotel where the team was staying, is unknown. Ituma was in her first season with Novara after leaving Club Italia and was one of the most promising players of the national volleyball setup.
The Turkish police, in charge of the investigation, has not given an official version of what happened but, according to Italian and Turkish media, it is not ruled out that the 18-year-old may have committed suicide.
