SportsSound Sultan: The Basketball Enthusiast (November 27, 1976 to July 11, 2021)

Sound Sultan: The Basketball Enthusiast (November 27, 1976 to July 11, 2021)

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July 11, (THEWILL) – For a celebrity whose passion for basketball in Nigeria was common knowledge, the coincidental demise of Olarenwaju Fasasi, popularly known as Sound Sultan, after Nigeria’s Basketball squad, D’Tigers, pulled off a stunning victory over their US counterparts, is a jarring occurrence to comprehend.

When the convivial personality that Sound Sultan was could have been celebrating the remarkable victory with basketball enthusiasts like himself with whom he shared a lifelong passion for the sport and who supported his efforts to grow a domestic appreciation of the game, there is instead the cold comfort of his journey to the afterlife.

No sooner had the incredible feat of D’Tigers gone viral on the internet than the worlds of music, entertainment, sports, comedy, business and sections of the international community were rocked by the news of the death of the pacesetting musical talent that bestrode these worlds with the gift of his personality and the confidence of his suave quality.

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The award-winning rapper, singer, songwriter, actor, comedian, basketball player, recording artist, UN peace Ambassador and Oxfam Ambassador for Africa, businessman and co-owner of Lagos City Stars Basketball cluyb had succumbed to Angioimmunoblastic T-cell Lymphoma, a rare form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a throat cancer.

It hit a sore nerve for many admirers of the multi-talented entertainer because of how young he was. Born on November 27, 1976 in Jos, Plateau State to the Fasasi family, Sound Sultan was just 44 when he crossed to the great beyond, leaving fans, admirers and a nation mourning such a grave loss, with only the discography and memories of the use of his gifts as consolation.

Of the many hats he wore, the sports community will always remember Sound Sultan as one celebrity sportsman who put him money, time, effort and presence where his mouth was. The gifted Fasasi, who previously played basketball for the Dodan Warriors, did everything except turn professional, which he could have if it was profitable at the time.

When the opportunity came to take ownership of a basketball club of his own and fulfill a lingering dream, Sound Sultan spared no effort. The equally experienced basketballer partnered with investors and purchased shares in the Lagos Islanders basketball team to assume ownership in September 2014.

Earlier that year, in an interview he had before the purchase, he gave an inkling into this when he said:

“As most people are aware, I love basketball and movies a lot. So I decided why not invest in what you love, which is sport and filmmaking, asides music of course. So I discussed with my family and team, and we drew a strategy and implemented. The result of which you will be seeing very soon.”

In growing his influence on the continent, beyond the borders of Nigeria, Sound Sultan was made a facilitator of the African Basketball League. In addition to that, the man was invited to the first NBA African Game as one of the special guests of the occasion.

The 2015 NBA Africa Game was an exhibition basketball game played on August 1, 2015 at the Ellis Park Arena in Johannesburg, South Africa. It was the first NBA game to take place on the continent of Africa, just as it was the first game involving any major North American professional sports teams.

Even as a celebrity, Sound Sultan’s ardent love for basketball made him continue his pre-fame practice of gracing the baskeball court at 23 Road, Festac Town. Owing the Lagos Islanders resulted in a boost in attendance. His star power drew in celebrities and eminent personalities began to show up at their games.

The desire to elevate the level of domestic basketball was behind his decision to own a Lagos club at a professional level. But, in another interview, he made it unambiguously clear that he was not the sole owner of the Islanders.

“This time around a group of young men came together with the aim of taking basketball in Nigeria to another level and get new converts to buy into the basketball industry. So for us, we have a man called Damoye who was the incumbent owner of the team, we have Ugo Udeze, Tajudeen Sulaiman and myself.”

Taking a look back at how it started and the timeliness of owning the Islanders club, Fasasi said: “I played Basketball from 1991 till date. I was the basketball team captain of my secondary school and even my university, that’s the kind of prominent role I’ve always played, so for me right now it’s not out of place that I now invest in the game.

“I actually used to play for Dodan Warriors. So we all came together like Voltron and we all have our strong points. Damoye has owned the team for the past 8 years and he understands the politics involved in the industry and he guides us in the right direction, Ugo Udeze is the only certified African Agent in the NBA as one of us, he understands the level at which the NBA operates and can infuse into the Nigerian industry as well.

“Well, I’m resident in Lagos, the fact that the ‘Lagos’ name is in it is another factor and we’ve not even gone the route of getting Lagos to sponsor us yet.”

When Sound Sultan refrained from revealing how much of his own money he invested in the ownership, he highlighted a distinct quality of his life: “If you look at me I don’t ever put monetary values on anything I do because you can’t monetise me. For me, whatever I do be it my cars, house, I don’t have to tell you how much I bought it because it’s passion driven.”

That is how he will be remembered. A multi-talented entertainer whose passion was the driving force of his existence and who held nothing back in sharing his varied gifts with those that mattered and leaving them with memories that cannot be touched by cancer.

About the Author

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Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.

Jude Obafemi, THEWILLhttps://thewillnews.com
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.

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