Oluwashina Okeleji
Oluwashina Okeleji (born 1 July) is a Nigerian sports journalist who works for BBC Sport. He reports for the BBC World Service Radio, TV and writes regularly for the BBC African football website about the continent's football and stars around the world. He's in regular contact with many top African players and often travels to Europe to meet them. While football is his main strength he also keeps abreast of a wide variety of sports.

Early life
He was born in Lagos' tough teeming Ajegunle ghetto on 1 July 1978, to an Islamic scholar father and a mum who is a trader. He is the first of three children with a brother Mustapha as well as a younger sister Raliat. He went through with his primary and secondary education in Lagos. But moved to Ibadan for his higher education. He proceeded to the BBC Bush House in London for his Broadcast Journalism training in November 2006.

Broadcasting
Oluwashina started writing for Multi-Sports News and Pictures (a sports publication in 1999) before getting his breakthrough on Television with Kayode Tijani on Sports Focus in 2000. Same year he joined another young journalist Adewole Opatola on the Sports segment of Funmi Iyanda's popular breakfast talk show 'New Dawn with Funmi'. In 2003 he left Television to become the editor of the country's first all-sport website NigerianSports.com, from where he was snapped up by the BBC in March 2004 immediately after the Africa Cup of Nations in Tunisia.

Since March 2004, Oluwashina has been reporting for the BBC World Service Radio and Television (Focus on Africa Sport). Writes regularly for the BBC African Football website. He also contributes to World Soccer Magazine and Al Jazeera English (Sport) online and TV.

He is a regular pundit for Kwesé Sports TV. He travels to South Africa regularly for the English Premier League and Football Fundi's on Kwesé Sports.

Oluwashina is also a Guardian Nigeria Sports columnist.

Awards and honours
AIPS SPORT MEDIA AWARDS 2018 - Best Audio (AFRICA) - 2nd runners-up
AIPS SPORT MEDIA AWARDS 2018: Writing - Best Colour Piece (AFRICA) - Winner
Nigerian Sports Award 2018: Journalist of the year (Print) - Finalist

Events covered
1999 FIFA World Youth Championship
2003 All-Africa Games
2004 African Cup of Nations
2005 FIBA Africa Championship for Women
2006 Africa Cup of Nations
2008 Africa Cup of Nations
2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
 2011 Homeless World Cup
2014 FIFA World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup 
2013 Africa Cup of Nations
2019 Africa Cup of Nations

References

Further reading 
 Shaibu Amodu to replace Stephen Keshi as Nigeria coach, retrieved 22 January 2017
 Stephen Keshi re-appointed as Nigeria coach, retrieved 22 January 2017
 Life after near-death for Togo's shot footballer, retrieved 22 January 2017
 No answers a year after Ebosse's death, retrieved 22 January 2017
 Nigeria’s revolting World Cup squad, retrieved 22 January 2017
 Footballers changing lanes, retrieved 22 January 2017
 Face to face: Brown Ideye, retrieved 22 January 2017
 China’s bold entry needs to be embraced, retrieved 22 January 2017
 Another Nations Cup without three-time champions Nigeria, retrieved 22 January 2017
 Nigeria’s dwindling fortunes in athletics and how to sprint forward, retrieved 22 January 2017

External links
 on BBC Sport
 on Al Jazeera English
 on The Guardian
 on World Soccer

1978 births
Living people
BBC sports presenters and reporters