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ROTARY SPORT AT DISTRICT 1145 DG INSTALLATION

The start of the new Rotary year is July, and every year, a new President is installed for each and every Rotary Club worldwide. Even Rotary International got a new President. It is tradition. Rotary Presidency is usually for one year, and new leaders step up and take office, in most cases.

It is the same with all of Rotary Club’s districts. Every year there is a district governor for each and every one of the 529 districts worldwide; and District 1145 South in the UK was no exception.

But this year, it was one with a difference as Rotary District 1145 installed Rotarian Olatunji (TJ) Olaleye as District Governor for 2025/26. TJ is a dedicated Rotarian of many years’ standing, been involved with Rotary since the 1980s when he was at school in his native Nigeria. And he relocated, as an established medical practitioner in anaesthesia in the UK, combining Rotary duties with everyday work, and still found time to devote enough to the Club as to be chosen as District Governor of District 1145.

Rotarian TJ is the first black, first African Rotarian to assume the position of District Governor in 1145 and his celebration was in style. Very much an ‘African affair’, it had pomp, it had flair and our very own President, Dr ‘Tunde Adelakun, was there to witness it.

As Dr ‘Tunde said, ‘it is with pride that we have come to be represented at this event by me. Not only because TJ is an African, but because his district 1145 has shown genuine interest and commitment to the cause of what we are doing at Rotary Sport. TJ and I have spoken, and we will be setting up an arm of Rotary Sport in his district during his Governorship year, to reflect the enthusiasm of the people of the south of England towards sport and what it can do for society’.

Also on hand to honour TJ was Past District Governor Dr Wole Kukoyi, who mentored Rotarian TJ in Nigeria and was the first District Governor for the new District 9111 in Nigeria. His tenure ended in June 2025.

Our aim is to put ourselves about as much as possible, to show our desire to use the power of sport to connect people, and to build the family of Rotary, and to unite for the good of humanity.

ROTARY SPORT ROAD SHOW

FESTIVAL OF SPORTS GETS TO BASINGSTOKE UK

One of the major objectives of Rotary Sport is to hold sports festivals in as many towns and countries around the world as is possible. We see such festivals, a gathering of all parts of the community/society to get together, freely play sport, exchange and engage, and encourage well-being amongst one another and inspiring same in the immediate community.

After a hugely successful Sports Festival held in Kigali, Rwanda late in June, it was the turn of Basingstoke, Hampshire in the UK – the official birthplace of Rotary Sport International – on July 12, where we had another hugely successful Family Festival of Sports.

Bringing the whole of the Basingstoke community together in the name of sports, the Festival of Sports was held on the grounds of Cranbourne School, on one of the hottest days so far in the country in 2025.

Luckily, Cranbourne School availed Rotary Sport of the use of the two massive indoor sports halls in the school and they were made to full use by the people who turned up.

The event was flagged off by the combination of the Basingstoke Member of Parliament, Luke Murphy, and the Mayor of Basingstoke & Deane, Cllr Colin Philimore, who both, in separate addresses, expressed their satisfaction that sport is indeed taking a rightful centre stage position in the fabric of community, and acknowledged that the more we did of these, the more aware Basingstoke will be to the needs and benefits of sports on physical and mental wellbeing.

The Mayor and the MP got involved in the sports, as well as the President of Rotary Sport, Dr Tunde Adelakun, who took active part in the football, and the table tennis.

The camaraderie of the family of Rotary that came out in support of the event was apparent, with Rotary Club of Basingstoke, represented by President Tim Jackson, Rotary Club of Basingstoke Deane represented by Past President Mike Lakin and some members; as well as Assistant District Governor Richard Spalding, all of whom played active part in the sporting events.

There was basketball, chess and darts, and everyone took full part.

Then there was a sports quiz, which involved every part of the crowd. They were broken up into groups and the quiz was intensely fought, with knowledge of past and present sports, Olympic sports, specific sports were all tested and had to be answered to. After three rounds, the team led by Annol Macdonald-Milner win the grand quiz prize, which was a pair of tickets to watch a home game of Basingstoke Town Football Club, of their choice.

Egypt-based Annol, together with his father Philip, ended up going for the Basingstoke Town v Reading FC preseason friendly match of 26 July.

There was also a raffle, and after distribution of many consolation prizes including softball vouchers from the Basingstoke Sports Centre, t-shirts and bags, the star prize – a couple of tickets to Wembley for the Community Shield match of Liverpool v Crystal Palace – was drawn and won by Irina Rasolonjanahary.

Finally we had an awards ceremony where public-nominated sports persons were given inspiration awards by the Mayor Colin Philimore. They are Tarik Biglic, a coach in Jiu Jitsu, David Graham, secretary of the Basingstoke Chess Club, Billy Upton, captain of Basingstoke Town Football Club; and Jack Miller, Chairman of Basingstoke Town Football Club. Formal presentation of their awards will take place at the Mayor’s Parlour at a later date.

RS INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT ON THE MOVE

ROTARY SPORT INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT, DR ‘TUNDE ADELAKUN, WAS ON THE MOVE A
COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, ALL THE WAY IN KIGALI, RWANDA IN EAST AFRICA, ATTENDING A ROTARY
SPORTS FESTIVAL THAT WAS PUT TOGETHER JOINTLY BY ROTARY SPORT AND ASSISTED BY
OTHER LOCAL ROTARY CLUBS IN THE EAST AFRICAN CITY.

THE SPORTS FESTIVAL, WHICH WAS AT THE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF KIGALI RWANDA (ISKR)
WAS VERY WELL ATTENDED, WITH PARTICIPANTS TAKING PART IN MANY SPORTS ON SHOW ON
THE GROUNDS.

HIGHLIGHTED BY THE PRESENCE OF SPECIAL GUESTS, UK HIGH COMMISSIONER TO RWANDA,
ALISON THORPE AND NIGERIAN HIGH COMMISSIONER IN RWANDA IBRAHIM ZANNA, EACH OF
WHOM GAVE A SHORT ADDRESS ON THE IMPORTANCE OF SPORT IN FOSTERING UNITY, THE AIM
WAS ALSO TO COLLECTIVELY JON HANDS AT RAISING FUNDS FOR A CANCER CHARITY IN KIGALI
WHICH WAS IN NEED OF AN UPLIFT IN ITS TRANSPORT SERVICES (TRANSPORTING NEEDY
CANCER PATIENTS FROM THEIR HOMES TO THE TREATMENT CENTRES WITH EASE).

RS INT’L PRESIDENT DR TUNDE ALSO SPOKE AT THE EVENT, HIGHLIGHTING THE NEED FOR
SOCIETY TO EMBRACE SPORT, NOT JUST AS COMPETITION BUT AS A TOOL FOR DEVELOPMENT
AND WELL-BEING, WHICH WILL AUTOMATICALLY REDUCE THE RISKS OF CATCHING DEBILITATING
DISEASES BY MAKING HEALTHY LIFESTYLE CHOICES.

BRAND NEW ROTARY SPORT GLOBAL AMBASSADOR AND FORMER RWANDA NUMBER ONE
TENNIS STAR JOSELYN UMULISA GAVE A MOVING SPEECH, SHARING HER STORY ON HOW TENNIS
HELPED HEAL THE EMOTIONAL AND PHYSICAL WOUNDS OF THE EFFECT OF THE RWANDA
GENOCIDE, THUS HIGHLIGHTING WHAT SPORTS CAN DO IN PEOPLE’S EVERYDAY LIVES.
A HUGE FLUX OF PEOPLE TOOK PART IN FOOTBALL, BASKETBALL, TENNIS COACHED BY
JOSELYN, PICKLEBALL, CRICKET AND FENCING.

A DAY OF GREAT FUN IN KIGALI, WHICH WILL BE REPLICATED IN BASINGSTOKE ENGLAND ON 12
JULY AT THE CRANBOURNE SCHOOL PREMISES.

DR TUNDE’S COMMENTS: “WHEN I VISIT THESE PLACES AND SEE THE SMILES THAT SPORT PUTS
ON FACES OF MANY, REGARDLESS OF THEIR POLITICAL, RELIGIOUS OR ANY DIFFERENCES, IT
GIVES A HUGE SENSE OF SATISFACTION AND REKINDLES THE DESIRE TO KEEP DOING WHAT WE
ARE DOING BECAUSE THE RESULTS WILL BE THERE FOR ALL TO SEE IN THE NOT-TOO-DISTANT
FUTURE.