Popular Nigerian sports photographer, Sulaimon Adebayo, popularly known as Pooja, talks about his journey in the art and relationship with Super Eagles striker, Victor Osimhen, in this interview with ABIODUN ADEWALE
What inspired your journey into sports photography?
I just wanted to diversify and do other things. In 2018, when the accreditation for the 2019 AFCON in Egypt came up, I applied, and that birthed my love for it.
Was photography the career you intended to pursue growing up?
Funnily enough, my childhood dream was to just make my parents proud and be able to take care of my bills. I studied Banking & Finance, and if photography didn’t work, I would have been in a banking hall by now.
How did you get your first camera?
In 2015/16, I told my elder brother that I wanted to start photography; he just laughed and told me to go and dust my CV. But after persistence, my four brothers contributed for my first camera. That was a Canon 70D.
What are your unforgettable memories covering football in Nigeria and around the world?
Sports bring so many good memories that you can hardly pick the best. But when the bad moments come too, the experiences hardly leave. One of the bad and scary moments I won’t forget was in Osun State, when I was chased by irate fans during Ikorodu City FC vs. Osun United in the NNL in 2022. Ikorodu City were making life difficult for them as hosts, and the fans realised I was with the away team. So, before they began to attack, I already sensed danger and started moving to safety. Before I knew it, they had started chasing me. The picture was viral on Twitter then as well. I was running for my life and protecting my gadgets at the same time. It was funny but scary.
What is the biggest sporting event you have covered, and who is the biggest sports star you have photographed?
The 2022 World Cup in Qatar is definitely the biggest sporting event I have covered. Despite the fact that Nigeria didn’t qualify, I had a very good experience, and it was my first World Cup as well. I would say I have photographed two biggest stars in football, and they are Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
What’s the inspiration behind the brand name Pooja?
I just wanted to be different and create a niche for myself, beginning with my name. It’s an Indian word, which means to worship. Over time, the brand has evolved beyond media, and we even do accessories like beads now.
Among Nigerian footballers, you seem to be really close to Victor Osimhen. What’s your relationship like with the player?
Well, I have a working relationship with different players in the Super Eagles and even in the NPFL. As you know, I am even closer to the players of Ikorodu City, being a director at the new NPFL club. My relationship with Victor Osimhen started in 2018 during the 2019 AFCON preparations in Asaba. He was still a rookie on the team with Samuel Chukwueze, and I was practically the only journalist that did exclusive interviews with them. So, when he saw me in Egypt a year later, we became even closer since then.
Is that how you were able to get first-hand information about his transfer from Napoli to Galatasaray?
Absolutely.
How amusing was it to find out Nigerians trusted foreign sources more than you during that period?
As Nigerians, we know ourselves, but we must continue doing the right thing. So, I’m not surprised. My comment sections were always full of doubters during the closing stages of the transfer window. I wasn’t surprised a bit, and, in the end, few people admitted the authenticity of my information, while some still stayed on the bandwagon of doubters. It was just Nigerians being Nigerians.
Among those comments, there are those who insinuate that you are on the payroll of Osimhen; how do you deal with such?
I believe it’s not just me or just Osimhen. It’s normal for people to feel that way because we are close to these players. This is normal in our job. Even when I went to Napoli for the Scudetto celebrations, many people said Victor Osimhen paid for all my bills despite saving for months to go for the event. So, we are used to it.
You’ve been organising masterclasses for intending content creators. What’s the drive behind that?
When I started my journey, I didn’t have the opportunity to attend masterclasses, and I felt doing a masterclass was a good way to give back to the industry. I believe one of the things that has helped change the landscape of sports content creation is branding and communication, especially with the use of social media, so there is a lot to share for intending content creators.
You also covered the Ojude Oba festival earlier this year. Was that a learning curve, being that it was outside your regular football beat?
People don’t know I do other photography apart from sports. I also get booked for seminars and conferences. For Ojude Oba, since I am from Ijebu-Ode, I’ve always wanted to cover it.