A former Nigerian athlete and sports administrator, Francis Odianosen Brown Ebewele, is dead.

Ebewele, who is popularly called ‘Juju man’, died on Friday in Warri.

The PUNCH confirmed that he died after a brief illness in a hospital.

The former Olympian led Team Edo to the 20th National Sports Festival in Benin City.

Ebewele, a Nigerian former national champion introduced decathlon into the nation’s athletics in 1978, while competing as an athlete for the then Bendel State.

Highly reputed athletics coach, Ebewele rose to become a Director and ultimately a Commissioner of Sports in Edo State during the administration of former Governor Lucky Igbinedion.

As Director of Sports, Ebewele piloted Team Edo to the top of the medals table, when the state hosted the 2002 edition of the Sports Festival.

At the beginning of his athletics career, Ebewele competed for Lagos State as a junior athlete in the maiden edition of the National Sports Festival in 1973. He was a junior hammer thrower then. He also represented Lagos State at the second edition of the fiesta in 1975. The two editions of the sports festival were held in Lagos but were won by the then Midwest state.

Ebewele’s first competition for the then Bendel State was at Kaduna ‘77 edition of the National Sports Festival. Competing as a mature athlete, Ebewele won a gold medal for Bendel State and also set a national record in the hammer event in Kaduna.

Ebewele went on to represent Nigeria at the 1978 All African Games in Algiers, and grabbed a silver medal in decathlon. He also represented the country at many international competitions.

Source:- Punch Ng

Share on:  Whatsapp  Twitter  Facebook