LAGOS – Gov. Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State was on Thursday honoured as the “Sports Governor of the Year’’ by the Nigerian Sports Award.
The organisers said at the event which held at the Muson Centre, Onikan, that Fashola was honoured for developing sports and the youth in the state.
Other recipients of the award include Commonwealth gold medalist, Blessing Okagbare and top table tennis star, Aruna Quadri whom, the organisers noted, had performed creditably in the year.
Okagbare, 26, holds the 2014 women’s 100 meters and the 200 meters fastest time at 10.85 seconds in the last Commonwealth Games in Scotland.
The sprinter’s 100m best of 10.79, makes her the African record holder for the event.
She was also the African 100m and long jump champion in 2010 and had won medals at the All Africa Games and the IAAF Continental Cup.
Quadri, 26, was honoured as the “Ball Sports Personality of the Year’’.
The table tennis star competed for Nigeria at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, where he defeated a Spanish player before being defeated.
At the International Table Tennis (ITTF) World Cup 2014 in Germany, he reached the quarter-finals in the Men’s Singles competition.
Super Eagles goalkeeper, Vincent Enyeama, was honoured as the footballer of the year and the sportsman of the year.
Courtney Dike, Falconets sensational player, was honoured with the footballer of the year, while her teammate, Asisat Oshoala, received the discovery of the year award.
The Commissioner of Sports, Lagos State, Enitan Oshodi, who was honoured as the sports administrator of the year, expressed gratitude to the organisers for the honour bestowed on him.
Oshodi in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) expressed, delight that Nigerians appreciated the state’s effort in sports development.
“I am delighted to win this award; sincerely I thank the organisers and the people who voted me to win the award.
“It is also a great thing for the governor to be honoured with an award of the best sports governor of the year.
“Indeed it is simply a testament of good work and good passion for the development of sports and most importantly for the youths in Lagos,” Oshodi said.
NAN reports that 13 others were honoured in their respective fields.
Veteran journalist, Fabio Lanipekun, Chuka Momoh, Aisha Falode, Mitchell Obi, Mumuni Alao, Olympic gold medalist, Chioma Ajunwa and her fellow Olympian Modele Odukoya were present at the event. (NAN)
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