MEDIA
Osimhen dominates 2021 The Ballers Awards
Super Eagles and Napoli striker, Victor Osimhen won two of the 19 categories as the fourth edition of The Ballers Award took place at the Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos. The award celebrated the performances of the awardees in 2021.
Osimhen was not the only star performer. Calvin Bassey, Super Falcons striker Asisat Oshoala and legendary Nigeria international Chief Segun Odegbami were among winners at the 2021 The Ballers Awards.
Other recipients include Joe Aribo, Zaidu Sanusi, Maduka Okoye, Ahmed Musa, Kennedy Boboye, Paul Onuachu and Anayo Iwuala.
Present at Sunday’s awards were NFF’s first Vice President, Seyi Akinwunmi; Chief Segun Odegbami; Group Managing Director, Complete Communications Limited, Dr. Mumini Alao and Chairman Lagos State Sports Commission, Sola Aiyepekun.
Also present were renowned radio/tv sports presenters; Deji Omotoyinbo, Charles Anazodo, Mozez Praiz and Big Brother Naija Lockdown Housemate, Ozoemena who presented one of the awards.
In the awards categories, Osimhen won both Forward of the Year and Baller of the Year for male, Bassey got the Revelation of the Year award, Chief Odegbami was handed the Legendary Baller award, Onuachu was awarded Super Eagles Goal of the Year and Oshoala was the recipient for both the Fans’ Favourite Baller and Female Baller of the Year awards.
The Goalkeeper of the Year went to Maduka Okoye, Sanusi was picked as the Best Defender of the Year, Aribo was awarded Midfielder of the Year, Super Eagles skipper Musa was named Humanitarian of the Year, Boboye was voted Coach of the Year, Esperance of Tunisia forward Anayo Iwuala was awarded Best Local Based Player and Ajani Waheed went home with Most Promising Baller.
And in other awards categories, Akinwunmi bagged the Excellence in Leadership award and veteran journalist Kunle Solaja got the Industry Icon of the Year award.
Also, Shina Oludare of goal.com won Best Print/Online, the Best TV/VLOG was awarded to Hindsight Podcast while Justina Aniefiok won Best Sports Photography.
Representatives collected the awards for most of the winners who were not present at the event.
There were music, dance and comedy performances to entertain the guests.
Former Nigeria internationals like Joe Erico, Barnabas Imenger, Justice Christopher, Yisa Shofoluwe, who recently passed away were all remembered by the organizers of the award.
Also remembered were Complete Sports founder and Nigeria sport icon Dr. Sunny Emmanuel Ojeagbase and former NFF Technical Director Kashimawo Laloko.
Speaking after the awards, founder of Naijafootballers organizers of The Ballers Awards, Gbenga Salu, thanked everybody who made out time to be at the award.
“Let me use this opportunity to say a big thank you to everybody who attended this award I can’t thank you enough. You made it possible by making out time to be here.
“We look forward to the next edition which will come up next year and we hope it would be bigger that what we just witnessed because we always pray that the new edition is bigger than the previous. So once again I want to say a big thank you to everybody I’m grateful.”
Winners at the 2021 The Ballers Awards:
REVELATION OF THE YEAR
Calvin Bassey
– FANS’ FAVOURITE BALLER
Asisat Oshoala
– GOAL KEEPER OF THE YEAR
Maduka Okoye
– DEFENDER OF THE YEAR
Zaidu Sanusi
– MIDFIELDER OF THE YEAR
Joe Aribo
– FORWARD OF THE YEAR
Victor Osimhen
– BALLER OF THE YEAR – MALE
Victor Osimhen
– BALLER OF THE YEAR – FEMALE
Asisat Oshoala
– HUMANITARIAN OF THE YEAR
Ahmed Musa
– MOST PROMISING BALLER
Ajani Waheed
– COACH OF THE YEAR
Kennedy Boboye
– SUPER EAGLES GOAL OF THE YEAR
Paul Onuachu VS LESOTHO
– BEST LOCAL BASED PLAYER
Anayo Iwuala
– BEST TV/VLOG
Hindsight Podcast(YOUTUBE)
– BEST PRINT/ONLINE
Shina Oludare (goal.com)
– BEST SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHY
Justina Aniefiok
– INDUSTRY ICON OF THE YEAR
Kunle Solaja
– EXCELLENCE IN LEADERSHIP AWARD
Seyi Akinwunmi
– LEGENDARY BALLER
Segun Odegbami
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.
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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
Follow the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
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