President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Mr. Amaju Pinnick will on Saturday be honoured with the award of Sports Personality of the Year at the prestigious annual THE SUN Awards, set for the Eko Hotel & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.
In a letter conveying the good news to Pinnick, the Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief of the leading media outfit, Mr. Eric Osagie wrote: “The Sun Board of Editors voted you in recognition of your blistering career as a sports administrator and motivator. Your ideas, strategy, energy and drive aimed at transforming the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) into a world class credible, respectable, transparent and accountable body with sustainable business –oriented culture are efficient and effective.
“You are a man of mission. Since your assumption of office as President, NFF, you have steadily unveiled capacity –building programs which have continually impacted positively on the league and attracted greater recognition from FIFA and CAF.
“Through your admirable combination of determination, hard work and distinction, you facilitated the signing of a kit sponsorship deal with a global brand and launched a twin-youth development program of the U-13 and U-15 in the various local government areas up to State levels. Your diligent pursuit of excellence is inspiring and worth applauding.
NFF President, Amaju Melvin Pinnick.
“The Sports Personality of the Year category of The Sun Awards is conferred on a Nigerian sport man or woman, or official, or administrator whose achievements during the period of review have brought out the best in our sports and elevated our game to heights hitherto unknown.”
Former Nigerian Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Sir Arthur Mbanefo, will chair the Awards ceremony.
The leadership of Nigeria Football has invited the Association of Professional Footballers of Nigeria (APFON) and the National Association of Nigerian Footballers (NANF) to a meeting in Lagos on Thursday.
NFF President Amaju Pinnick said the joint meeting had become necessary in order to find a permanent solution to the discord that has seen two different bodies claiming to represent the interests of professional footballers in Nigeria for so many years now.
“Our administration is seeking to install harmony in all sectors of the game of football, and the players – the real actors – are very, very important.
“We are keen to bring this discord, this misunderstanding between NANF and APFON to an end. Football thrives in an atmosphere of peace and tranquility, and you cannot truly protect the interests of persons under a structure of disharmony,” Pinnick contended.
Thursday’s meeting will take place at the Eko Hotel & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos, and each of the bodies has been asked to attend with five members.
“We are lovers of peace. We will do everything humanly possible to bring the two unions together and make them work together.”
In the past, the Nigeria Football Federation had recognized APFON as the Member of Congress. The new effort seeks to unite the two in the interest of active and retired footballers in the country.
Minister of Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalong has described the Nigerian Sports Award as the best way to reward sportsmen and women who have distinguished themselves in this country and make Nigeria proud.
Dalong made the statement at his first official outing since his appointment as minister during the award ceremony held on Friday at the Marquee, Oceanview, Eko Hotel & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.
Dalong who admitted that the reward system in this society of ours has been consigned to materialism, commended the vision of the organizers for their initiative to recognize talents, contributions, skills and performances of the distinguished sportsmen and women through the award.
The Jos-born administrator added that the establishment of the Nigerian Sports Award has developed a society where the reward system is functional.
“I am very elated from what I have seen here and we would improve on it. My passion as a person is that we should be able to develop a society where the reward system is functional. I believe a society without an effective reward system is a society destined to doom,” Dalong said.
“Of course, in this society of ours the reward system was consigned to materialism. You are not recognizing because of your consistent, you are not recognized because of your talent, you’re not recognize because of your skills but you’re recognize by the size of your pocket. Indeed, that has contributed immensely in destroying the progress of the country. And here stands the viability of the vision of organizers of this award, which we are all gathered here to recognize excellence.
“We are here to recognize the talents, the contribution, the skills and performances of our sportsmen and women who have distinguished themselves in this country and make Nigeria proud. This was made possible with the organizers of this award, which is commendable. Sports we all know is one of the basic instruments that can unify not only the country but also the whole world,” he stated.
The FIBA 2015 MVP Chamberlain Oguchi emerged Ball Sportsperson of the Year, for helping National Basketball team, D’ Tigers won the just concluded FIBA Africa tournament. He defeated Aruna Quadri and Olumide Oyedeji.
Are Feyisetan, Nigerian Powerlifting Coach, beat off a stiff competition from the National Men’s Basketball team, William Voight and the Women Cycling Coach, Bashir Mohammed to be crowned the Coach of the Year category.
Kelechi Nwanaga (Javeline) was handed the Discovery of the Year award at the expense of Awoniyi Taiwo (Footballer) and Amusan Tobiloba.
In the football category, Super Eagles captain Ahmed Musa was named the Footballer of the Year (Men) ahead of Odion Ighalo, and the Sunshine Stars striker, Tunji Adeniji while Ngozi Okobi dethrone Asisat Oshoala to emerge the Footballer of the Year (Women) category.
World record breakers at the just concluded All African Games, Yakubu Adesokan went home with double awards of the Special Sport Person of the Year and the Sports Man of the Year.Loveline Obiji humbles Balqis Otunla and Lovina Onyegbule to emerge the Sports Woman of the year.
The Director General (DG) of the National Sports Commission, Yakmut Al-Hassan was named the Sports Administrators of the Year category ahead of the President of the Nigerian Wrestling Federation, Daniel Igali.
Sportsman of the Year, Yakubu Adesokan, Honourable Minister for Youth and Sport, Solomon Dalong, Sportswoman of the Year, Loveline Obiji , the Director General, National Sports Commission, Alhassan Yakmut at the 2015 edition of the Nigerian Sports Award held yesterday in Lagos
For the School Sports Award, Eyeanugie Primary School, Edo state emerged the winner while Nigerian Men Basketball Award team, D’Tigers, was named the Team of the Year category.
Tosin Oke (Triple Jump), a gold medalist at the just concluded All African Games overpower Kelechi Nwanaga (Javeline) and Uke Claire (Discuss), for the Track and Field Star of the year while Balqis Otunla conquered Mariam Usman for the weightlifter of the Year award.
For the Sport Journalist of the Year (Print) category, Tana Aiyejina of The Punch Newspaper retained the award after he triumph over Oludare Shina of Goal.com, Johnny Edwards Complete Sports and Kayode Ogundare i-Soccer while Ganiyu Yusuf of the Complete Sport was named the Photo Journalist of the year ahead of Bola Omilabu of the Nation/ SportingLife Newspaper, John Ebota of The Nation, Segun Ogunfeyintimi and Akeem Salawu of The Vanguard Newspaper for.
The Radio Sport Journalist of the Year went to Chinasa Ibonye, City FM after a competition from last year winner Godwin Enakhena, Top Radio, Murphy Djemba of Brila FM, and Udeme George, Love FM, Abuja while Austin Okon-Akpan of Channels TV emerged Sport Journalist of the Year (Television) after surmounting pressure from Miyen Akiri of Galaxy TV, and Moses Praiz of Supersports.
The Special recognition award category goes to the President of the Nigerian Boxing Federation, Major General Kenneth Minimah and the 2015 World Scrabble Champion, Wellington Jighere.
Sports Minister, Dr. Tammy Danagogo, First Lady of Delta State, Mrs Roli Uduaghan and the Chairman of Senate Committee on Sports, Senator Adamu Gumba were among the nation’s leading personalities who graced the grand ball organized by the Nigeria Football Federation for Corporate Nigeria in Lagos on Friday.
The colourful event at the Eko Hotel & Suites, Victoria Island was an experiential session by the new NFF Executive Committee, led by Mr. Amaju Melvin Pinnick, to bond with NFF’s partners and prospective sponsors.
In the presence of top government functionaries, corporate titans and political heavyweights, Pinnick espoused his vision with ease, academic and articulate, and it was applause all the way for the young and energetic new supremo of Nigeria football as he enraptured all who were there.
Put together by NFF’s proposed financial consultants, Financial Derivatives, the event afforded participants and media chiefs an inkling into the new direction for Nigeria football, as Pinnick, 1st Vice President, Barrister Seyi Akinwunmi and Chairman of the Marketing, Sponsorship and Television Advisory Committee, High Chief Emeka Inyama harped on useful partnership, mutual respect, accountability, probity and transparency.
Sports Minister, Dr Danagogo praised the idea behind the event and the vision of the NFF, saying he was bowled over by the ingenuity of it all and pledged Government’s full backing for the Federation.
Senator Gumba said he was hugely impressed by the plan for going forward and would get the National Assembly to give total support.
Bain & Co, who will be NFF’s management consultants, talked on NFF Strategy & Restructuring, while the Managing Director of Financial Derivatives, Mr. Bismark Rewane captivated the auditorium with Repositioning of Nigeria Football for Global Competitiveness.
NFF President, Amaju Pinnick
Messrs Jibril Aku, Peter Amangbo and Ladi Balogun, Managing Directors of ECOBANK, Zenith Bank and FCMB respectively, President of Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers and Group Managing Director of BGL PLC, Mr. Albert Okumagba, Mr. Dere Otubu of Staco Insurance, Idaere Gogu Ogan of United Securities, Mr. Aniri Ojuya of Senforce Insurance, representatives of the Dangote Group and NFF’s partners Emzor were in attendance.
Mr Olufemi Adefope of HRG, Dr. John Agawu, Chairman of Sureline Liftboat and the first graduate to play for the Nigeria National Team and Mrs Nimi Akinkungbe of Nigeria Monopoly also graced the occasion, while Mansard Insurance was represented.
Pinnick promised that a similar event will take place in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja at the beginning of next year.
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