The Chairman of the Sport Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) Lagos Chapter, Olatutu Oladunni has congratulated Abiodun Adewale who works with Punch newspaper for winning the prestigious award at the just concluded AIPS/AGL award night in Abidjan, the capital of Ivory Coast.
AIPS/AGL award night went down at La Mission de La presse Abidjan on January 25th, 2024, during the ongoing 34th AFCON 2023 competition in Cote D’Ivoire
Olatutu Oladunni, who was represented by the State Chapter secretary, Bello Omotunde, is so proud of Lagos SWAN members from Punch newspaper being nominated.
Out of many entries from the African continent for the same category, two Nigerian writers made the three final shortlist.
Abiodun Adewale from Punch, who wrote on the sporting topic titled ” From Olusosun to the World”, a piece he spoke about the rise of the 2023 King of African football, Victor Osimen who rose from Olusosun, Ojota in Lagos State to become Africa’s Best.
Abiodun Adewale, who could not attend the event, sent in a fellow Lagos SWAN member, Femi Fabunmi, who was excited to pick the award for his friend and colleague.
Olatutu Oladunni is so proud of the chapter as the only chapter in Nigeria that had three members in the second-round screening and two members in final round.
It was a close contest for Abiodun and his colleague from Punch Ebenezer Bajela who wrote on the topic ” Missing from Podium: Nigeria’s Medal- Winning Sports gasping for breath” and their counterpart from Senegal, Abiodun Adewale emerged the over all winner.
However, the Lagos SWAN Chairman Oladunni uses the medium to encourage members to keep the flag flying and putting Lagos State, Nigeria on the world map.
The very colourful event was marked with attendance of sport writers across the continent, Africa.
Also, other dignitaries present are AGL executives the official sponsor of the night, Former AIPS Africa President Mitchell Obi, Ivory Coast Sport Writers President, Former Senegal International El-Hadji Diouf and other AIPS executive members both from Africa and World atlarge.