‘Baddest Bada’ lives on in our hearts’: Athletes pay tribute to late Sunday Bada exactly 13 years after his death

Athletes, coaches and other stakeholders in track and field have paid tribute to one of Nigeria’s most successful and decorated athletes, Sunday Bada who died on the evening of Monday, December 12, 2011, on his way to the airport to pick his wife, Sumbo.

Bada left the National Stadium in Surulere, Lagos that fateful evening for the Murtala Mohammed airport ostensibly to pick his wife who just arrived in Nigeria, but his journey did not end at the airport but the mortuary after he was rushed to the airport around the Ojuelegba bridge going towards Fadeyi after suffering a suspected cardiac arrest.

On Thursday December 12, 2024, 13 years after his demise, stakeholders in sports, especially track and field took to their social media pages to remember the first Nigerian man to win a World title at the senior level, the first to win three World indoor Championships medals in a row, a World outdoor and Olympics medalist, Sunday Olanrewaju Bada.

‘My friend like no other, continue to rest on,’ former Nigeria high hurdler, Solomon Aliu wrote on his Facebook page.

‘The baddest! Continue to rest in peace!’ added Olympian, Moses Orode Oyiki who was at the 1996 Olympics with Bada.

‘Rest on Champ,’ wrote the delectable Mabel Madojemu, a former Nigeria U20 champion in the 200m.

Sprinter, Deji Aliu and sprint hurdler, Angela Atede, two training mates of the late Bada, are also not left out.

Aliu, an Olympic medalist, Nigeria’s 60m record holder and 100m winner at the 2003 African Games, recalls their days on the track, training together in Nigeria and Italy and vows to continue to celebrate Bada’s life and achievements.

‘A Brother, A Friend, A Legend.

‘I’m still in shock as I write this tribute to my brother, friend, and legend, Sunday Bada. Your passing has left a gaping hole in my heart and the hearts of countless others who were inspired by your remarkable life and achievements.

‘I remember our days on the track, pushing each other to be our best selves. Your work ethic, dedication, and passion for athletics were contagious, and you motivated me to strive for excellence.

‘Your impact on Nigerian athletics and the global sports community is immeasurable. You paved the way for future generations of athletes, and your legacy will continue to inspire and motivate us.

‘Rest in peace, my brother. Your memory will live on in my heart, and I’ll continue to celebrate your life, achievements, and the impact you had on mine.

‘Farewell, Sunday Bada. You will be deeply missed,’ Aliu wrote.

Angela Atede, also an Olympian and a former Nigeria 100m hurdles record holder also paid tribute to the memory of Bada.

Atede was also the late Bada’s training partner and she, together with Aliu and Bisi Afolabi were once managed by the Italian, Enrico Dionisi.

‘Of all the special gifts in life however great or small, to have you as our colleague was the greatest gift of all. May the winds of love blow softly and whisper in your ear, we love and miss you and wish that you were here.

‘Deep in our hearts, your life is kept to love and cherish, not forgotten. No more tomorrows we can share but yesterday are always there. A silent thought, a secret tear keeps your memories ever near in our hearts forever,’ wrote an emotional Atede.

Nigeria’s most decorated athlete, Mary Onyali says Bada would have been one of the people to plot a turnaround for Nigerian sports at this point in time, but God cannot be queried.

‘This is to SB..one of our best quarter millers and AFN Technical Director of all time.

‘We would have loved to have you around to help turn our sport around for good, but God’s intention for you out weighs our desire.

‘Continue to rest in His arms until we meet again my friend,’ wrote Onyali.

Clement Chukwu, perhaps Bada’s greatest rival on the track who stopped the Policeman from a record extending ninth Nigeria 400m title win in a row in 1998 before going on to win the African Championships gold in the event that year also paid tribute ‘a true friend’.

‘Sunday Bada “The bad boy,” as I often called you, was a true friend all around. Your kindness and your unwavering support will forever be cherished in my heart. Though you’re gone, your memory lives on. I miss you, bro.,’ wrote Chukwu in a message to SportsNow.com.ng.

Bada was the first man to assume the role of technical and performance director of the AFN following his appointment as the head of the federation’s technical sub-committee.

He won the World Indoor Championships 400m gold in 1997 to become the first Nigerian, man or woman to win a senior global title for Nigeria at the senior level.

Bada practically won the 4x400m bronze medal for Nigeria at the fourth World Athletics Championships in Gothenburg, Sweden in 1995 when he took the baton in fifth place but ran an incredible anchor to ensure Nigeria won the bronze medal in 3:03.18.

He also helped Nigeria to Olympic gold in the same event five years later, running the third leg.