Jack Oyoo Sylvester gained fame for revolutionising football commentary in the country, especially during the World Cup.
Oyoo’s prominence hit the ceiling when Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC) was the only media channel with exclusive rights to broadcast World Cup matches in the country in the last decade.
Although he had crafted his niche in radio, Oyoo’s commentaries envisioned every football match giving fans a visual-like impression.
“Jack Oyoo Sylvester. This man made football on the radio sound so good, as though you were watching it on TV,” one of the comments on Oyoo’s return to the screens in November 2022 read.
KBC tapped into his experience in 1987 during the All-Africa games. At that time, the station that had dominated the airwaves was in dire need of sports correspondents. Oyoo was called to assist with reporting.
This was after impressing the listeners with his regular sports updates to the national broadcaster. KBC was still known as the Voice of Kenya (VOK) during that period.
According to KBC, Oyoo mastered the Swahili language after spending over 15 years in Tanzania.
“He prides himself in never having to apply for a job and that his talent and mastery of Swahili paved the way for every opportunity he has gotten,” KBC described him.
“In actuality, he struggled a lot with the English language growing up and even had to go back a couple of classes in school so that he could keep up,” the national broadcaster added.
From the early 1990s, Oyoo was at the helm of the World Cup commentary entertaining the football fans in the country.
The epitome of his career was during the 2006 world held in Germany, where Italy emerged the winner after defeating France.
Besides gaining fame, Oyoo also mentored young footballers to become professionals. He also made a mark as a Swahili teacher at a school in Siaya.
To appreciate his experience and knowledge, KBC invited him to analyse the 2022 Qatar World Cup edition starting on Sunday, November 20.
Source: kENYANS.CO.KE