By Is’haq Modibbo Kawu
Happy 70th Birthday, Bros!!!
Today, January 10th, 2025, you celebrate your 70th birthday. Alhamdulilah! We thank Allah for your life. For me, who grew up knowing you as my elder brother, I’ve always seen you as the inspirational elder brother: one of the best swimmers in the great River Niger, and the one whose competence made me to learn to swim in the great river too.
For me, the surprise till today is that you never swam for Nigeria because you were that proficient in the majestic River Niger. You were also the remarkable sprinter who beat my dear college brother, Auwalu Aliyu, to the first position, at an inter-schools athletics championship in 1972, that held at the Government Technical Training School (GTTS) Ilorin (now the temporary site of the University of Ilorin). You would go on to become the fastest sprinter in Nigeria, and you crowned that by becoming the captain of the Nigerian team to the 1980 Olympics Games in Moscow, in the defunct Soviet Union.
You made the transition from doing sports to reporting sports at the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) in its greatest years of professionalism. You traversed the world, reporting all the great sports competitions before you finally bowed out with an unblemished professional record.
The younger generation today is not likely to know the contributions you made to the sporting achievements of Kwara State and of our dear country, Nigeria. But I bear witness to your incredible achievements and truly indelible contributions to the making of some of Nigeria’s greatest achievements in sports and broadcast journalism.
Thanks a lot, Boda, for your patriotic labour to our dear country. As you celebrate your 70th birthday today, I extend the greatest respect and continuing admiration for all you’ve achieved. Happy 70th birthday, Adique!!!
Happy Birthday, Brotther Hameed Abdulmalik Adio.
Your Cousin,
Dr. Is’haq Modibbo Kawu.
Abuja, Friday, 10th January, 2025.
