Former Edo State Commissioner for Sports, Brown Ebewele, is dead. The former Nigerian athlete who was popularly called ‘Juju man’, died on Friday in Warri.
He died after a brief illness.
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.
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Highly reputed athletics coach and activist, he rose to become a Director and ultimately a Commissioner for 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.
Ebewele was also instrumental to Nigeria’s victory at the 2003 All Africa Games in Abuja as he led to the inclusion of special sports as medal-winning sports.
Nigeria’s medal haul at the Games came from special athletes.