Nigerian actress and media personality, Omotunde Adebowale-David, popularly known as Lolo1, talks about her love for Nigerian women in sports, Chelsea and others, in this interview with ABIODUN ADEWALE
What attracted you to sports?
Several sports appeal to me. In Nigeria, we are very big in football, so I liked football from when I was young because, around me, a lot of people watched football, even though I love oriental sports like gymnastics and synchronised swimming. I grew up in Isolo, Lagos and almost everybody in the neighbourhood watched football. My father was so passionate about football, and I will never forget a tournament Nigeria played, I think in 1992 before he died. I had never seen a grown man cry before but I saw my dad cry because Nigeria lost. I didn’t understand what was going on but we used to watch football together and I loved the adrenaline. He would shout and jubilate. But for that loss, my father didn’t eat for an entire day. The next day it was also as if someone died.
How did you get to know more about Nigerian sports?
Fortunately, I’ve been a broadcast journalist over the years, so whether you like it or not, sports comes to you. It is either you are reading it in the news or you are following up to have conversation points. I think that’s what even drew me closer. When I was in Wazobia FM, during my show, we had a breakout time for sports and if I was the person presenting, I just enjoyed the analysis and would listen.
Some broadcasters find some athlete’s names difficult to pronounce. Have you ever been in that situation?
For me, I don’t think it was that difficult because you would have listened to names pronounced over and over again. If everybody would say ‘Drogba’, why would you want to say something else? The names I find generally hard were Greek names with all the ‘pous’ at the end of their names. It’s not just sports names, it’s named generally, you must get them right in broadcasting, just as they must be spelt correctly in print.
Where did your interest in Chelsea come from?
I’m not going to lie, in the early years, I loved Chelsea because blue is my favourite colour. Later, I realised the fan base in Nigeria was huge.
In terms of memories, what are the best moments you’ve had as a Chelsea fan?
I enjoyed it when they signed Celestine Babayaro and later Mikel Obi. I was so happy to see the two Nigerians play for Chelsea. It was so much fun and I liked Drogba as well. He was such a good footballer. I know there’s Lionel Messi, who made it difficult for anyone to beat Barcelona, but I cherish the 2011/12 season, when we beat them in the semi-finals of the Champions League and eventually won the tournament. I have also been to London to watch Chelsea once and the experience was so surreal. Everything happening live around you can be so overwhelming, it is as if you can touch them. I have always watched football on TV but that one, I sat down quietly throughout and savoured every bit of it.
How about the heartbreaks?
(Laughs) Why are you so wicked now? These past couple of years have not been easy. I can’t lie, it’s been very difficult, but we say ‘Chelsea for life’, so, we won’t give up.
You were part of the Ladies in Sports Conference recently. What was the take-home from the event?
One of the things that stood out for me was the advocacy for inclusion. Women have been trying very hard to be on the table when it comes to sports. A lot of times we all feel that it’s a male-dominated world and even in Nigeria, it’s still a sprinkle when you talk about women’s involvement in sports. We are hoping that with all the awareness, it will keep putting the searchlight on the women. Many women are doing great and now we are seeing some bit of inclusion, but we still want more.
How proud are you of your association with some of Nigeria’s best female sports stars?
I am very proud because these ladies work so hard. Asisat Oshoala and a lot of them are my friends and I just feel that when it comes to football, they are appreciated as well. We just want more support for them and many other ladies doing other sports. And I must say that I am proud of the Super Falcons and all their junior teams (Falconets and Flamingos). They are the ones covering the shame on Nigerian football at the moment.
So, are you also of the opinion that they should be on the same pay as the men?
I see people as human, the only thing that should be the criteria is if they merit it and are capable with the knowledge and experience they have. So, it is not their gender they should use to pay them. Aside from the athletes, even in sports presentations, many men are not as good as some of their female counterparts but the fact that they are men should not be the reason why they are celebrated.
The Falcons are going to the Olympics in July, what are your expectations?
Whatever it takes, I know they want to make the nation proud, just as they did at the last World Cup. I want them to go far and prove that they can. I have never missed live matches of the Super Falcons, even if I have to go to a viewing centre to watch, but I have yet to see them play live in a stadium.
How do you manage to enjoy other sports you love aside from football?
There is no Olympics that I don’t watch synchronised sports after watching football and athletics. I don’t know the names of those Asian athletes but I would watch their performances for the fun of it.
In terms of entertainment, are there any chances that we will see you tell some sports stories with one of your projects soon?
I’m looking for some collaborations and I’m looking for some beautiful sports stories that can be filmed. You know, there are so many genres you can do, so, I’m thinking in that direction as well. Generally, this year I shot a cinema film, which is in editing at the moment, hopefully, it will come out before the end of the year. I have also featured in a lot of series and YouTube films.