The Nigeria Football Federation on Thursday expressed deep grief at the death of seasoned sports analyst, writer and administrator, Deacon Ayo Ositelu.
Ositelu, who needs no introduction as one of the finest sports journalists of his generation, with special attention to tennis, died in Lagos on Wednesday after a brief illness, three months to his 70th birthday.
The Chairman of the NFF Media and Publicity Committee, Chief Emeka Inyama, said: “The NFF is shocked to receive news of the passing of one of the best sports journalists and commentators that this country has ever produced, Deacon Ayo Ositelu.
“He was a marvel in his area and did his job with painstaking attention to details.
“He worked very hard and was meticulous.
“We mourn him because he was a good man through and through.
“But we are consoled by the undisputed fact that he left his giant footprints in the sands of time, not only in tennis reporting, but in the entire sports arena.”
Nicknamed Arena, late Deacon Ayo Ositelu worked with some leading national dailies, including The Punch (where he edited Sunday Punch) and The Guardian – where he was a member of the editorial board.
He left no one in doubt of his mastery of his vocation, with fascinating presentation of historical facts and matchless previews and reviews wrapped in excellent prose.
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