By Bashir Bello, Abija.
Sports Journalists under the aegis of Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) has congratulated the news editor and publisher of Sahel sports newspaper, Mr Abdulgafar Oladimeji, on his induction into the Diplomatic Assembly.
The SWAN President, Comrade Isaiah Benjamin, speaking at SWAN National Secretariat, at the MKO Abiola stadium in Abuja, in his congratulatory message described Mr. Abdulgafar as a selfless Sports Technocrat and Legal Consultant.
He said, “I want to congratulate one of our own, that we are very proud of at all times, Abdulgafar Oladimeji, on his induction as a Fellow of the African Transformers Institute, ATI and his induction into the Diplomatic Assembly.”
“We are confident and rest assured that, the Assembly has a resource person in its new cohort, as a sports journalist, he is well travelled and his experience in the fields of journalism and the justice sector will be of immense benefit to the Assembly.
“We are going to give him all the support that he requires to excel, we are hopeful that his involvement and participation will open a new chapter in the route of sports diplomacy in Nigeria and the continent at large.”
When contacted, Abdulgafar Oladimeji, simply said, “My mission is to project sports diplomacy, my vision is to berth sports diplomacy to its rightful place in Nigerian growth history.
Sports diplomacy is the strategic use of sports, athletes, and games by nations to build bridges, ease political tensions, and improve global relations. It relies on the shared love of physical activities to connect people across borders when formal politics fail.
Sports diplomacy uses competitions and events to build bridges, improve global images, and foster international cooperation.
Key benefits include cultural exchange, conflict resolution, and economic growth.
