Nigeria’s foremost virtual sports community, Sports Journalist Forum, held its second annual awards ceremony on Sunday, 20 December as part of its year-end activities to recognise the professional and social contributions of members within and outside Nigeria.

The WhatsApp-based community of leading sports journalists converged virtually to select deserving winners in eight different categories through an open ballot election system that was marked by friendly banter and good-natured competition.

Leading the way was ace journalist Bode Oguntuyi who was overwhelmingly selected by his peers to become the second-ever inductee to the SJF Hall of Fame.

Mr Oguntuyi, a sports writer par excellence with vast experience across print, radio, TV and online media internationally and locally, was recognised for his decades-long service to the industry and for years of exemplary and award-winning output.

Mr. Oguntuyi who is a director at Sports Media Vision, a sports media and marketing firm, joins pioneer inductee and former Super Eagles media officer and ESPN columnist Colin Udoh in the SJF Hall of Fame.

Mr Udoh, meanwhile, retained the award for SJF Most Resourceful Member, a recognition of his constant drive to help colleagues improve and grow their craft.

Even as the SJF community extolled the virtues of its veterans, it also recognised the contributions of its younger members with a pair of Nigeria’s brightest young journalists, football expert Tobi Adepoju and LASU radio OAP Funmi Adeyemo emerging SJF Member of the Year in the male and female categories.

Mr Adepoju, a freelance journalist, leads a vanguard of Nigeria’s young generation of football reporters, while Ms Adeyemo combines her sporting expertise on radio with a mastery of the turntables as a Disc Jockey in her other life.

Port Harcourt big boy China “The Pope” Acheru was voted SJF Most Active/Peacemaker of the Year, his peers determining that a heart of gold lies behind his stern exterior and fearsome beard.

An unrivalled storyteller, Mr Acheru is a published author with his memoirs of Nigerian football, A Thousand Times On The Same Road, currently available at leading bookstores nationwide. He is currently Head of Programmes at Wish FM Port Harcourt and formerly led the NPFL Media Officers Association and the League Bloggers Association.

Ms Sarafina Napoleon, a co-host of the early morning show on Wazobia FM and sports anchor on Nigeria Info and Cool FM was returned as the queen of SJF Afterdark – a segment that runs from 10pm and where only the bravest souls tread.

Despite a surprisingly strong showing by legit.ng’s Shittu Ibitoye who this year revealed a previously hidden love for matters of the flesh, Ms Napoleon’s unparalleled mastery of the risqué and raunchy saw her retain her crown.

There was mild drama and plenty hilarity as a closely fought contest in the SJF Reporter of the Year category ended in a tie on technical grounds between last year’s recipient Kingsley Oyero and busybuddiesng.com editor Azu Umeh.

An unprecedented rerun saw Mr Umeh eventually emerge winner with Mr Oyero lauded by the entire house for his gentlemanly conduct in accepting the outcome, the absence of bitterness underlining the shared bond and genuine spirit of fraternity between members.

Awardees will be presented with N2000 recharge cards of a network of their choice, a customised NPFL jersey and a certificate.

Commenting on this year’s SJF Awards, Convener Godwin Enakhena who was voted Admin of the Year said the voting process and conduct of members holds a great lesson for Nigeria’s politicians.

While congratulating the winners, Mr Enakhena reserved special praise for Mr Oyero whose conduct he said, embodies the essence of the Sports Journalists Forum.

“I want to thank everyone who participated/voted in this year’s edition of SJF Awards. You all made it a huge success,” Mr Enakhena said.

“SJF might be a small WhatsApp group but what happened during and after the elections proved that we’ve a lot of noble men and women on the platform, as we agreed to disagree. It wasn’t a matter of life and death unlike what happens in partisan politics in our nation.

“We didn’t turn the platform upside down, and this shows maturity and a lesson for our politicians,” he added.

“While we congratulate all the winners, I want to salute Kingsley Oyero most especially for the candor and sportsmanship he displayed when the call for a rerun was decided and for accepting the outcome of the rerun and even congratulating the eventual winner. You earned alot of people’s respect because of this, Koyero.”

The 2020 SJF Awards was the first in a series of year-end events that will culminate in an end of year party on 30 December, 2020 at LASCOFIS, Ikeja, with all Covid-19 protocols strictly adhered to.

Full list of winners at 2020 SJF Awards

1) SJF Member of the Year (Male) – Tobi Adepoju

2) SJF Member of the Year (Female) – Funmi Adeyemo

3) SJF Admin of the Year – Godwin Enakhena

4) SJF Reporter of the Year – Azu Umeh

5) SJF Afterdark Member of the Year – Sarafina Napoleon

6) SJF Hall of Fame Award – Bode Oguntuyi

7) SJF Most Resourceful Member – Colin Udoh

8) SJF Most Active/Peacemaker – China Acheru