The Acting Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ololade Enikuomehin, has described the late Chief Coach of the University, Victor Oshuntolu as a great sport icon, whose memory would linger on for many years to come. Professor Enikuomehin disclosed this at a friendly match between FUNAAB Staff Football team and the Federal College of Education (FCE), Osiele, Abeokuta Staff Football team, which was organised by the University in honour of the late Chief Coach, adding that the legacies of the late Chief Coach were worthy of emulation.
Speaking at the event, representative of the Acting Director, Sports, Mrs. Funke Apeleyin, had described the late Chief Coach as a successful sportsman, who had worked assiduously to improve sporting activities in the University. She stated that it would be good if the event to honour him was sustained every year. Earlier, the Chairman, Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), FUNAAB Branch, Comrade Rotimi Fasunwon, expressed his gratitude to the University Management for making the event a success, especially for employing the deceased’s wife as a staff of the University, adding that the occasion was not a day of shedding tears but a moment of celebration and joy for the late sport icon. He charged the family and well-wishers to continue to pray for the repose of the deceased’s soul. Comrade Fasunwon recalled that during his undergraduate days in the 1990s, the late Chief Coach gave necessary assistance to students in the area of sports, by encouraging them to win laurels and medals for the University.
Highpoint of the friendly match was the kick-off taken by the wife of the deceased, Mrs. Oluwakemi Oshuntolu. Present at the friendly match were Coach Cyril Osigwe; Director of Sports, FCE, Osiele, Mr. Kehinde Feyisetan; Deputy Director of Sports, FCE, Osiele, Mr. Moruf Balogun; National President, Federal Colleges of Education Staff Sports, Dr. Ben Edegbai and the Chairperson, College of Education Staff Sports Association of Nigeria (CESSAN), Mrs. Ayodele Akparanta. The friendly match ended with a 2-1 victory for the FUNAAB team against the FCE team, with Dr. Olusegun Oduwaye and Mr. Chukwuemeka Igwe of the FUNAAB team, scoring the first and second goals, respectively.
Meanwhile, late Chief Coach Oshuntolu, popularly called ‘Ojoro Cancel’, was employed by FUNAAB on November 12, 1990 as a Sports Coach II, after his youth service programme. He rose through the ranks to become a Chief Coach in the Directorate of Sports. He served the University meritoriously for 25 years and bagged honours and medals in the Nigeria University Games Association (NUGA), at state, national, West African and international competitions, such as: pre-season seminar for Nigerian coaches/sports administrators, organised by the Nigeria Football Association (NFA); scientific sports administration/crisis management seminar, organised by the Ogun State Sports’ Council; Acting Head, Sports Unit of FUNAAB; Head, University’s contingent to the West Africa University Games (WAUG), held at the University of Ghana, Legon during which the University bagged one silver and one bronze medals; as well as the Head, University delegation to the Gateway Tertiary Institutions Games (GATIG) for institutions in Ogun State, where FUNAAB came third with six gold and 16 bronze medals.
Mr. Oshuntolu also served as the head of the University’s men and women relay teams to the Redeemer’s Sports’ Festival, where both men and women contingents came second in 2008; he was also head of delegation to the 2008 NUGA Games finals at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, where his team won one silver and two bronze medals. Late Coach Oshuntolu also initiated the UNAAB Soccer Academy (USA) for students of the University; organised weight control programmes for staff and students, using exercise therapy and gymnasium facilities at the Mudal Lawal Stadium, Abeokuta, among others.