One of the winners in the Icon Category of the 2025 Shortsville Awards, Rotimi Pedro, has expressed huge delight over the honour bestowed on him.
Pedro, who was decorated alongside others at the 5th edition of the Sportsville Special Recognition Awards which took place on April 3rd at the Eko Club in Surulere, said he never saw the award coming at a time like this.
“I have contributed my quota to the development of football and sports in general over the years,” he said.
“In recent time, I still do my thing quietly to the best of my ability but never knew people are taking note. I am so happy and elated and want to thank the organisers of this award to keep it up. This is also a challenge for me to do much more for sports development in Nigeria.”
The 5th Sportsville Special Recognition Awards brought together top sports administrators, athletes, coaches and other key stakeholders in celebration of excellence and commitment to sports development in Nigeria.
The annual awards’ ceremony recognized individuals who have made remarkable contributions to the sporting ecosystem, spanning administration, coaching, media, and grassroots development. These honorees, through their dedication and hard work, have shaped the industry, inspired younger generations, and contributed to the overall growth of sports in Nigeria.
Others who were bestowed with award are foremost retired referee Linus Mba; the energetic General Manager of Rangers International , Barr Amobi Ezeaku; the immediate past Rivers State Sports Commissioner, Barr. Chris Green; the CEO of the Nigeria Premier Football League, Davidson Owumi as well as Kingsley Awodi, and Prince Paul Ngadiuba.
There was also a posthumous awards for late industrialist and foremost supporter of table tennis, Chief Molade Okoya –Thomas. The biggest award of the night, The Sports Administrator of the Year, was presented to Dr. Uyi Akpata, the President of the Nigerian Cricket Federation.