By James Agberebi
Complete Sports founder, Dr Emmanuel Sunny Ojeagbase who passed on last February, was honoured at the fourth edition of the 2021 The Ballers Awards which held on Sunday at the Oriental Hotel in Lagos while Super Eagles stars Victor Osimhen, Falcons’ Asisat Oshoala,
Joe Aribo, Zaidu Sanusi, Maduka Okoye, Ahmed Musa, Paul Onuachu and Anayo Iwuala were among the big winners of the prestigious Awards.
Osimhen won both Forward of the Year and Baller of the Year for male, Bassey got the Revelation of the Year award and The Goalkeeper of the Year went to Maduka Okoye while Sanusi was picked as the Best Defender of the Year. Rangers of Scotland’s Aribo was awarded Midfielder of the Year, Ahmed Musa was named Humanitarian of the Year while Kennedy Boboye was voted Coach of the Year and Esperance of Tunisia forward Anayo Iwuala was awarded Best Local Based Player with Ajani Waheed going home with Most Promising Baller.
Onuachu was awarded Super Eagles Goal of the Year and Oshoala was the recipient of both the Fans’ Favourite Baller and Female Baller of the Year awards.
Former national team captain Chief Segun Odegbami was handed the Legendary Baller award while NFF’s first Vice President, Barrister Seyi 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.
Former Nigeria internationals like Joe Erico, Barnabas Imenger, Justice Christopher, Yisa Shofoluwe and former NFF Technical Director Kashimawo Laloko who recently passed away were all remembered by the organizers.
Present at Sunday’s awards were Odegbami; Group Managing Director, Complete Communications Limited, Dr. Mumini Alao and Chairman Lagos State Sports Commission, Sola Aiyepeku.
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.
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.”
Representatives collected the awards on behalf of most of the winners who were not present at the event. There was music, dance and comedy performances to entertain the guests.
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
