Jan 8, 2013 – Nigerian Coach Samuel Akinyemi Aka Erin Is Dead: Died In Ado Ekiti Hospital
A Nigerian athletics coach, Samuel Akinyemi a.k.a Coach Erin is dead.
The late Coach died in a Hospital at Ado Ekiti State on Monday after he was admitted for an undisclosed illness.
Coach Erin as he is fondly called was a respected track and field coach who discovered and nurtured the country’s athletic stars such as Fatimah Yusuf, Seun Ogunkoya and Damola Osayomi into becoming international stars.
Fatimah Yusuf won a gold medal in the 400m sprint at the Commonwealth Games in 1990 in Auckland, New Zealand.
Seun Ogunkoya, regarded as one of the finest sprinters in Africa, held an excellent record as one of the fastest men in the continent.
And the third Nigerian woman to run in the 100m finals at the IAAF World Championships, Damola Osayomi is also the reigning All Africa Games 100m queen.
Commenting on the death of Coach Erin on her Facebook wall, Osayemi said she has always taken coach Erin as her ‘father’ because he helped her in nurturing her talent which brought stardom.
“I woke up this morning (yesterday) with very sad news to my soul that my grassroots coach, the man that brought me up in track and field, a coach like a father to me whom a lot of athletes think is my father, is no more.
“Coach Samuel Akinyemi a.k.a (Erin) is gone. May your gentle soul Rest in Peace, Coach Erin. You contributed a lot to my life. I will forever miss you my coach,”
Other Nigerian athletes who knew Coach Erin also took on the Social Media Network to pay their last respects to the renowned track and field coach.
[Source: Channels TV]
