I Was A Rugged Defender Like Surugede – Prince Anthony Adeboye

By Akeem Busari

Sports administrators come in different colours, shapes and sizes. Some got to the top of the packs by sheer dint of academic feats, while others played through the mills learning and relearning along their way to the top of the game.

The Senior Special Assistant on grassroots sports to Honourable Minister for Sports Development, Prince Anthony Adeyinka Adeboye, in this exclusive chat with Asiwaju Akeem Busari, was quick to a lay marker to his meteoric rise to the top as an experienced sports administrator.

Adeboye fondly called ‘Sulu Babaewe’ by his admirers and friends, went down memory lanes, beginning as boxer, handball and volleyball player in his school days.

“I am properly grounded sportsman and with loads of experience as a sports administrator, who was also the first ever Nigerian to be appointed as Senior Special Assistant on football, by the then Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola,” he said.

He recalled fondly that he was a rugged defender in the mould of ex-Enugu Rangers star player, Benedict Ugwu, who was known as Surugede, whilst playing for his tertiary institution Kwara State Polytechnic, under the late Coach Moses Otolorin.

“I took my experiences as a former footballer to my several appointments, that included working for teams like Obanta United, VIP and Ibukun Oluwa football clubs in various capacities, even as I learned from my mentor, Chief Adewale Teluwo,” he stated.