The sporting fraternity in Nigeria has been hit with the news of the death of another pacesetter in the sports journalism industry, Fabio Lanipekun.
The accomplished sports journalist who just four days ago celebrated his 80th birthday died at the weekend, according to close family sources.
An NTA official close to the family confirmed the death of Fabio Lanipekun whose glory days on the television screens can never be forgotten.
Also, one of those who cut their teeth under the tutelage of Fabio Lanipekun, Modele Sarafa-Yusuf, confirmed the death via a post on her Twitter handle Sunday night.
https://twitter.com/modelesy/status/1500555091543302149
She wrote: “I mourn the death of my former boss & mentor, Fabio Lanipekun who passed away today- 4 days after his 80th birthday.
“Fabio encouraged my move from NTA Ibadan to Lagos, burnished my skills and taught me hard work & discipline.
“May God grant him peaceful repose & bless his family.”
The death of Fabio Lanipekun is coming just a week after another iconic sports journalist, Sunny Emmanuel Ojagbaese, died in the United States at 71 after a brief illness.
In a recent expose by another veteran journalist, Kunle Solaja, on Fabio Lanipekun, he revealed that the deceased was born Adesola Lanipekun before he adopted the name ‘Fabio’ from a novel he read while he was a student at the Methodist Boys High School in Lagos.
While he had stints with the print media from the now-defunct Daily Express to his days at Concord Press where he rose to become the Group Sports Editor, Fabio’s glory days for most people was when he was at the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA).
He rose to the position of Manager, Sports at the NTA before retirement.
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