PUNCH Newspapers senior correspondent, Abiodun Adewale, has been nominated for the Football Journalist of the Year (print) in the 11th Nigeria Pitch Awards and also made the long list of the 2024 International Sports Press Awards Media Awards in the Best Colour Piece category.
Adewale’s maiden Nigeria Pitch Awards nomination was announced on Thursday by the organisers ahead of the ceremony which will be held next Tuesday, March 25, in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, on the sidelines of Nigeria’s 2026 World Cup qualifying match against Zimbabwe.
On Thursday as well, he was also named alongside two other Nigerians and five other Africans in the global longlist of writers for the 2024 International Sports Press Media Award.
Adewale’s story on former African Player of the Year, Victor Osimhen, titled; “Olusosun: Defying the odds, Lagos slum rises above filth, produces Africa’s football king”, earned him a place among other global contenders for the AIPS awards.
The story won the maiden AIPS Africa Awards (Print Category) in January 2024 during the Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast.
According to the world’s sports journalist governing body, a total of 2,065 submissions were received from 133 different nationalities across different categories.
“For this initial stage, more than 18,000 votes were issued by the members of the panel of AIPS mentors, Executive Committee members and Jury members, totalling 40 high-profile media professionals from the five continents,” AIPS announced via its website.
“The following stage will be carried out by the Executive Committee members, who will narrow the submissions into the shortlists to be presented to the Jury.
“The Jury will perform two selections until declaring the podium candidates, and a final choice for the winners, one day before the final ceremony takes place.”
The AIPS Sport Media Awards ceremony will be held in Rabat, Morocco, during the AIPS congress from May 13–16, marking the first time the ceremony will be held in Africa.
