OBITUARY
Former US football star, O. J. Simpson cremated
O.J. Simpson, the onetime football star infamously tried and acquitted of double-murder charges, was cremated on Wednesday during a private gathering of friends and family in downtown Las Vegas, according to the executor of his estate.
Attorney Malcolm LaVergne, who was Simpson’s lawyer for 15 years, said he was among those who attended the morning cremation at the Palm Downtown Mortuary & Cemetery, one week after Simpson died at age 76, following a battle with cancer.
“What I can tell you is that I went there and saw him right before he was placed in” the crematorium, LaVergne told Reuters by phone. “I can tell you other people were there for Mr. Simpson,” he added, declining to disclose who they were except to describe them as relatives and friends.
He said a private “celebration of (Simpson’s) life is being contemplated” for friends and family at a later date. Simpson’s cremated remains “will be in the possession of his children to do with as they see fit, pursuant to his wishes,” LaVergne said.
LaVergne said he was just starting to sort out Simpson’s estate, which he said includes a sum of money of “less than five figures” in a Nevada bank account, household furnishings and golf clubs.
Any outstanding legal judgments against Simpson are next to last in line among any claims that get paid from what remains of his estate after a lengthy list of higher-priority obligations under Nevada law, including the Internal Revenue Service, which ranks No. 5 after administrative costs, funeral expenses, medical bills from his last illness and any alimony and child support, LaVergne said
Simpson had lived in Las Vegas since he was paroled from prison in Nevada in 2017 after serving nine years for his conviction on charges of robbing and kidnapping two sports memorabilia dealers at gunpoint in a Las Vegas hotel in 2007.
Simpson’s greatest notoriety stemmed from his acquittal in a sensational trial 12 years earlier of murder charges in the 1994 stabbing deaths of former wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman in Los Angeles.
Another jury later found him liable for their deaths in a civil lawsuit, and ordered him to pay to pay $33.5 million in damages, most of which has never been collected.
Nicknamed “The Juice,” Simpson was one of the best and most popular athletes of the late 1960s and 1970s. He won the Heisman Trophy as college football’s top player – a running back at the University of Southern California, and went on to a record-setting career in the NFL with the Buffalo Bills and San Francisco 49ers.
He later parlayed his football stardom into a career as a sportscaster, advertising pitchman and Hollywood actor in films including the “Naked Gun” series.
-Reuters
Former head coach of Nigeria’s national football team, Adegboye Onigbinde, is dead. He passed away late Monday evening, four days after celebrating his 88th birthday.
His death was confirmed in a statement issued on behalf of the family by Mrs Bolade Adesuyi, who disclosed that the veteran football tactician had been ill for some time.
Onigbinde, one of Nigeria’s most respected football administrators and coaches, first took charge of the national team in 1983, succeeding Brazilian coach Otto Gloria. During his tenure, he led the then Green Eagles to the final of the 1984 Africa Cup of Nations, where Nigeria finished runners-up.
Nearly two decades later, Onigbinde etched his name further into Nigerian football history when he became the first indigenous coach to lead the national team to the 2002 FIFA World Cup. He guided the Nigeria national football team to the tournament co-hosted by Japan and South Korea.
Widely respected for his discipline, tactical knowledge and commitment to youth development, Onigbinde remained an influential voice in Nigerian football long after his coaching career.
Further details regarding funeral arrangements are expected to be announced by the family in due course.
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The Nigerian sports media community has been thrown into mourning following the deaths of two respected football journalists and administrators, Oyeniyi Oyeleke and Tonex Chukwu.
Their passing has triggered tributes from colleagues across the country who remember them as dedicated professionals who made meaningful contributions to sports journalism and football administration.
Oyeleke’s Legacy in Broadcast Sports Journalism
Oyeleke, a former chairman of the Lagos chapter of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria, was widely respected for his work in broadcast sports journalism.
During his career, he worked with the Nigerian Television Authority, where he was part of the network’s sports reporting team, before later contributing to coverage on SuperSport.
As Lagos SWAN chairman, Oyeleke was known for his efforts to strengthen the professional standing of sports journalists and promote unity within the association.
Colleagues recall him as a calm, thoughtful voice within the sports media fraternity, always willing to mentor younger journalists entering the profession.
Chukwu Remembered in Nigerian Club Football
Tonex Chukwu, who also passed away, built a strong reputation within Nigerian club football circles, particularly through his work as media officer of Enyimba FC, one of the country’s most successful teams.
He later served as coordinator for Heartland FC, contributing to the organisation and administration of the club during his tenure.
Friends and colleagues describe Chukwu as a passionate football communicator who played an important role in bridging the relationship between clubs, supporters and the media.
Tributes Pour In
News of their deaths has prompted an outpouring of grief across Nigeria’s sports community, with journalists, club officials and administrators remembering both men for their commitment to the game.
Many have taken to social media and professional platforms to honour their memories and reflect on the impact they made within the industry.
As tributes continue to flow, colleagues say the legacies of Oyeleke and Chukwu will endure through the many journalists and football professionals whose careers and lives they touched.
The Nigerian sports community has also extended heartfelt condolences to their families, friends and loved ones during this difficult period.
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Veteran French coach Jean Louis Gasset, who was fired at the last Africa Cup of Nations by Ivory Coast before they went on to win the trophy, has died aged 72, his former French club Montpellier announced on Friday.
Hosts Ivory Coast were sensationally beaten 4-0 by minnows Equatorial Guinea in their last group game at the 2023 edition in the biggest upset in tournament history, finishing third in their group.
Gasset was dismissed after the shock defeat but the Ivorians earned a reprieve as one of the best third placed finishers to qualify for the knockout rounds and eventually won the title under Gasset’s assistant Emerse Fae.
One month after returning to France, Gasset was appointed coach at Olympique de Marseille but stayed for only four months.
He went back to Montpellier last season but when they were headed for relegation, he was sacked in April.
Gasset spent most of his playing career at Montpellier, where his father had been one of the club founders.
The cause of death was not given.
Reuters
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