Daily Independent (Lagos)
Darlington Abuda
20 November 2008
Lagos — The Expo Hall of Oceanview Restaurant, Lagos, was recently transformed into basket ball court as celebrities competed against residents of the Victoria Island in a veritable mix of basketball and entertainment. The event, held on November 1, 2008, was a composite package of fun and excitement as music and basketball lovers saw their favourite stars live.
Aptly tagged Face -off, the event, which was sponsored by Smirnoff Ice, was a different experience entirely for fun lovers who were entertained with chilled bottles of Smirnoff Ice to enjoy the game of basket ball in another dimension. One of the guests at the show, David Olawoye, said he was amazed at the performance of the celebrity on the court.
"This is fun at its peak, the mood is beautiful, the serene vicinity is exciting and the show is a classic example of excellence."
The event, which was quite different from the usual show of music performance, had celebrities engaged in a basket ball match with the Islander Basket Ball team. The Expo Hall was transformed into a basketball court in a creatively correct manner such that the criteria of a standard basket ball court were met and the celebrities displayed their sports mettle in the game.
While the Disc Jockeys were doing their best at the turn table, celebrities like Tee A, D'Banj, Don Jazzy, P-Square, Kunle Afolayan, Sound Sultan, Tu Face, Banky W, Sasha, Kel, SID and several others were on the court to showcase their skills in basket ball against the professional team, and to the amazement of the spectators, the celebrities proved they were not only skillful in music or acting but also talented in sport as they won the Islander Basket ball team in the perfectly organised novelty match.
There were several interlude of dance and music between the matches as Kaffy and her group stormed the court after the game with a well-choreographed dance, which saw the gathering giggle in applause and excitement. Guests also had to compete to win prizes in rapping and singing and it was followed by an after party, which had the artistes perform and thrill the audience.
Reacting to the outcome of the event, another guest, Seun Bolagale, said it was funny to see how the celebrities won the Islander Basket ball team, who are professionals. Bolagale went on to describe the event as a unique experience that he was happy to have been a part of.
The coordinator of the event, Michael Oyeyiola, said the objective of Face-off was to redefine entertainment in Nigeria and Africa as a whole, stressing that he was happy with Face-off achieving this objective. According to him, the event came up from the dire need to give fun lovers another unique entertaining experience that will have a lasting impression on their mind. He asserted there is a link between hip-hop music and basket ball and that is why they feel Nigerians should have the experience.
The coordinator also said the sponsorship by Smirnoff Ice was an added value for the brand and enough evidence to prove the event as a show of fun. "Smirnoff Ice is a dynamic and vibrant brand just as Smirnoff Ice" Oyeyiola quipped, adding that the show would go a long way to improve basket ball and make it a premium type of sport both in Lagos and Nigeria at large. He assured that the event would be a yearly event and would subsequently be hosted in other parts of the country.
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