MEDIA
Sports enthusiast and president’s spokesman, Adesina gets national honour
BY KUNLE SOLAJA
Like his childhood football hero, the late Muda Lawal, spokesman for Nigeria’s president, Chief Femi Victor Adesina will be conferred with the national honour, Order of the Niger (OON).
This is consequent of the approval of President Buhari for the conferment of National Honours on two past Presidents of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE). The recipients are Femi Adesina and Halilu Ibrahim Dantiye.
Letters to that effect, dated September 19, 2022 and signed by the Minister of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs, Senator George Akume, were addressed to the awaiting recipients of the national awards. They will be honoured in Abuja on Tuesday 11 October.
Adesina, the Nwanne Di na mba’’ of Mmaku kingdom in Enugu State is a sports enthusiast and author of the book, “The Shooting Stars : The Golden Era of a Soccer Team”, published in 1992.
The then IICC Shooting Stars and also the national football team, then called Green Eagles, camped in Adesina’s family hotel, Olugbon Hotel in Adesina’s hometown, Ipetumodu, near Ile Ife.
Muda Lawal, his childhood hero was on 14 March 1991 became the first Nigerian footballer to be officially designated as Soccer Ambassador. .He remained the only one that was so ceremonially installed by a President in Office. The honour went with the national award of Order of the Niger (OON), the same title that Chief Adesina will get on 11 October.
At the end of his tour of duty as Special Adviser to President Buhari, he will easily have had the longest tenure as the chief spokesman to any Nigerian leader.
In the course of serving his principal, he has met many world leaders.
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.
Follow the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
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.
Follow the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
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
Follow the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
Record-extending seekers, Nigeria Flying Eagles, seek dominance continuation over Tunisia
King Mohammed VI congratulates Morocco’s women’s futsal team, crowned African champions
Morocco claim historic Women’s Futsal AFCON title in last-minute thriller
- Nigerian Football7 days ago
Financial rainfall awaits Nigeria’s Flamingos for every goal scored in Algeria
- OBITUARY1 week ago
NFF mourns the demise of former FIFA referee, Bosede Momoh
- feature1 week ago
Ghana’s Cardinal, Appiah Turkson, listed as a possible Pope
- Nigerian Football7 days ago
Former WAFU President, Ogufere mourns Christian Chukwu
- CAF Champions League6 days ago
Al Ahly, Sundowns brace for Cairo showdown with final spot on the line
- U-20 FOOTBALL2 days ago
Nigeria’s Flying Eagles set to begin 8th African title chase
- U-20 FOOTBALL4 days ago
African youth stars chase glory as U-20 AFCON kicks off in Egypt today
- Badminton7 days ago
It’s Nigeria again as Eniola Bolaji wins the 2024 Africa Women in Badminton Award