The Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), Lagos Chapter, has described the demise of Gong News publisher, Jide Fashikun, as “one death too many”.
Lagos SWAN Chairman, Debo Oshundun, said in a condolence message, that Fashikun’s death had robbed the sports writers fraternity of a worthy asset and a leading light in investigative sports journalism.
“This should not be happening; just on Friday, we gathered to mark the one year remembrance of one of our senior colleagues, Deji Tinubu, who died in 2018 and less than 48 hours after, we lost another gem.
“We are sad by this untimely death. He was full of life the last time I saw him during the 2018 National Sports Festival in Abuja in December.
“We spoke on a wide range of topics which centered around Nigerian sports as well as the pen profession, I never knew that was the last time I was going to see him,” Oshundun said.
He described the journalist as a beacon of hope for his uprightness and ability to maintain his stand in the face of adversity.
“The late senior sports reporter teamed up with Olympian Mary Onyali to initiate the Nigeria Sports Development Fund, to raise funds and nurture future Olympic athletes.
“We commiserate with his immediate and extended family, as well as the FCT SWAN where Fashikun was a vibrant member until his demise.
“May God console us all,” Oshundun said in his tribute.
Fashinkun, an online publisher, died on Sunday following a brief illness.
