MEDIA
Let’s Celebrate My Mentor @ 80 !
BY GBOYEGA OKEGBENRO
Today, one of the greatest influences on my sportswriting career, Uncle Fabio (real name, Adesola) Lanipekun turns 80.
It all seems like yesterday when his childhood friend and confidant, my late Oga and first Editor, late Elijah Ayo Ositelu (aka The Arena), set me off to the National Stadium on my pre-hire, test- assignment as a young Sports Reporter for Punch Newspapers in August 1983.
It was a boxing assignment and Arena, after the preliminary rookie reporter review protocols in his office, tucked his call card into my hand, with a short note on the back, to give to “Mr. Fabio Lanipekun” at NTA Sports portacabin office.
Time was 4pm. thereabout and I was to watch two key bouts of a rigorous pre-1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games national boxing selection trials; and race back to Onipetesi with a report for the next day’s publication.
I got to his office in a jiffy but Uncle Fabio was very busy. After about 20 minutes wait, I was restless and sweating in the well- ventilated reception.
I soon walked up to late Uncle Yinka Craig as he was about to drive out in his Honda Civic car.
I introduced myself and my mission in their office. YC took me straight to Uncle Fabio’s office and instantly, he asked one of the junior staff to take me to the sports hall and hand me over to late Walter Oyatogun who was Announcer and Media Coordinator at the trials.
I got my job done, raced back to Punch; my report made the next day’s second edition and pronto……the journey started.
In his typical humane and youth-friendly style, I soon became one of Uncle Fabio’s favorite “aburos” in the then sportscity.
Over time, I got so close to Uncle Fabio and learnt invaluable skills and insights from his deep knowledge of ALL SPORTS.
Though a tv supremo, he was such an avid reader that would note and point out every wrong point, logic or perspective in your newspaper reports. The boys loved that aspect of him to bits !
Uncla Fabio’s passion was teaching, encouraging and “spoiling” us his younger colleagues, especially on foreign trips where, every evening after work, he relished telling us stories of past historic sports events he covered in different parts of the world; challenges encountered; triumphs; frightening flight experiences; and of course, his tireless and generous indulgences of our culinary and gulping appetite .
My prayer today as our very resourceful, likeable amd generous Oga, the great Uncle Fabio Lanipekun, the Iroko of Sports TV Broadcasting in Nigeria, turns 80, is that God Almighty continues to uphold and bless him with good health and abundant happiness.
Happy birthday Sire and thanks for EVERYTHING !!!
Dr Patrice Motsepe, who was returned unopposed as CAF president on Wednesday in Cairo, has had his first term in office documented.
According to the CAF publication, Motsepe will build on the extensive progress he made during his first term to make African Football globally competitive.
Dr Motsepe’s objective when he first took office in March 2021 was to make African Football self-sustaining and drive growth in several different spheres. The last four years have seen CAF move its development agenda forward at pace with many historic firsts.
These achievements are contained in a publication to mark Dr Motsepe’s first four years as President, titled, ‘The Growth and Success of African Football Continues’, which media can download here
The magazine walks us through Dr Motsepe’s 10-point plan when he took office, and the wide-ranging advances that have been made towards reaching and surpassing his objectives.
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The Organisers of the annual Sportsville Special Recognition Awards have announced a new date for the ceremony.
The award ceremony will now come up on Thursday, April 3rd, 2025, at the same Eko Club venue
Frank Ilaboya, the Chief Executive Officer of Sportsville, announced the change in a release issued this morning.
“Yes, the ceremony will now hold on the 3rd of April. The earlier date of March 21st, coincides with the Super Eagles World Cup qualifying match against Rwanda in Kigali.
“We all know how important that fixture is to Nigeria and Nigerians and it’s only fair for us, as stakeholders in Nigerian sports, to join others to support our Eagles.
“Besides the huge support for the Eagles, many of our Awardees and top dignitaries have also called to inform us of their trip to Kigali to be part of the historic match.
“Based on the above, the Organising Committee decided to shift the ceremony to April 3rd, 2025.
“We have also communicated this to the awardees and our invited guests to kindly bear with us on this unavoidable change while regretting any inconvenience this might have caused them,” Ilaboya added.
This year’s ceremony, the 5th in the series, will be held under the Chairmanship of Arise TV Anchor, Oseni Rufai with the rave making Cricket Federation President, Dr Uyi Akpata, as the Sports Personality of the Year.
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The initiator and financier of the first-ever boxing league in Africa, Omolei Imadu, is happy that his noble efforts at reviving Nigerian boxing are getting the required attention.
Imadu, who was reacting to his nomination as the Sportsville Innovative Personality of The Year, said he cherishes recognition from reputable organisations like Sportsville.
“I want to thank Sportsville for this recognition. I never saw it coming. For a reputable organisation like Sportsville to recognise our efforts in less than two years of operations means a lot”.
“You can understand why I cherish this award. It’s a big motivation for me and my team”.
“I want to assure you that the best of the Yucateco Boxing League is yet to come.
“We are determined to bring the glory days to Nigerian boxing and appreciation like this will continue to motivate people like us,” says the President of the Boxing Promoters Association Of Nigeria (BPAN)”.
Yucateco Boxing Promotions under Imadu’s leadership started the first ever boxing league in Nigeria two years ago and today the country’s boxing ecosystem is agog.
Boxers and officials continue to heap praises on the outfits CEO Imadu for his innovation saying that Nigerian boxing will witness a new lease of life.
In the words of Babatunde Ajose, Commonwealth Boxing Champion.
“Yucateco has brought the vibes back to boxing and the boxing community is grateful to him.
“From what we have seen of the boxing league, very soon, it will compete with the football league in Nigeria.
“The followership has been massive, big kudos to the financier and initiator Imadu for doing this for our beloved nation”.
“If we have people like him at the helms of affairs of boxing, the sky will be our beginning,’” he added.
Imadu is the second Nigerian to win the Prestigious Sportsville Innovative Award, created to reward and appreciate excellence and creativity.
Jenkins Alumona, the Managing Director of Flykite Promotion won the award last year for coming up with the highly successful Super 8 League held in Lagos.
Meanwhile, the organisers have listed award-winning referee, Linus Mba, Marketing guru, Rotimi Pedro, Sunny Osa Adun, the Founder of Nigeria’s first ever Sports TV Station and Nigeria’s only individual Olympic gold medallist, Chioma Ajunwa-Oparah to receive awards in the Icon Category.
This year’s ceremony comes up on Friday, the 21st of March, 2025 at the Eko Club, Surulere Lagos
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