By Dela Ahiawor (SWAG member)
On a balmy evening filled with glitz and glamour at the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC) on Friday, January 24, 2025; the Sports Writers Association of Ghana (SWAG) pulled off a successful awards ceremony to toast the finest sports stars in Ghana.
The 49th SWAG Awards Night with the theme: “Gold and Glory: A Call for Change in National Orientation and Investment in Sports,” was an opportunity for Ghana’s sports icons to walk the red carpet and be recognized for their exceptional achievements for the year 2024.
The awards welcomed hordes of guests across Ghana, including notable guests like, the legendary Ghanaian boxer, Azumah Nelson and former sports stars: Joseph Agbeko, Emmanuel Tuffuor, Anthony Baffoe, Ablade Kumah, Daniel Addo and Emmanuel Agyeman Badu just to name a few.
The newly elected first female vice president of the Republic of Ghana, Her Excellency, Prof. Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang representing President, John Dramani Mahama was present as the eminent guest; accompanied by the new Sports and Recreation Minister- designate, Hon. Kofi Iddie Adams.
Speaking at the ceremony, the vice president applauded (SWAG) for sustaining the Awards for an impressive 49 years. She commended SWAG for its tireless efforts in promoting and recognizing excellence in Ghanaian sports, stating that the Awards had become a benchmark for excellence.
“The SWAG awards has not only motivated active sportsmen and women, but continues to serve as a source of inspiration for aspiring sports person in Ghana,” she added.
23-year-old Ghanaian high jumper, Rose Yeboah Amoanimaa was honoured with the night’s top prize- ‘Sports Personality of the Year’ and ‘Female Athlete of the Year’ for her star turn at the 2024 Confederation of African Athletics (CAA) championship held in Douala, Cameroon. And for winning gold at the 13th African Games held in Accra.
On the other hand, Ghanaian sprinter, Edwin Gadayi was honoured as the ‘Male Athlete of the Year’ for winning gold at the “Confederation of African Athletics (CAA) Region II Championship men’s 100m final- held at the University of Ghana Stadium in Accra. Despite the fact that, he failed to qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Another top moment from the night was when, sports journalist, Bright Kankam Boadu was honoured as the SWAG Journalist for the year 2024. Expressing his gratitude, Bright Kankam Boadu said:
“When you have sports writers giving you an award. This is something you have to cherish and I really appreciate it. I will entreat us as sports journalists to always do what is right and push the sports agenda forward.”
This year’s event marked the 49th edition of the Awards ceremony, which has been running consistently since 1975. But the association (SWAG) was formed in 1968 to help in the development of sports in Ghana.
Here’s a complete outline of all the big winners at the 49th SWAG Awards:
Athlete of the Year (Female)
Rose Yeboah Amoanimaa
Athlete of the Year (Male)
Edwin Gadayi
Sports Personality of the Year
Rose Yeboah Amoanimaa
Sports Journalist of the Year
Bright Kankam Boadu
President’s Award
James Kwesi Appiah
President’s Award
Kofi Asare Brako
Boxer of the Year
Amadu Mohammed
Club of the Year
FC Samartex
Coach of the Year
Desmond Offei
Prospect of the Year
Abdul Aziz Issah
Female Hockey Player of the Year
Elizabeth Opoku
Male Hockey Player of the Year
Benjamin Acquah
Weightlifter of the Year
Winnifred Ntumi
Beach Soccer Player of the Year
Alexander Adjei
Swimmer of the Year
Abeku Jackson
Taekwando Athlete of the Year
Kelvin Amuzu
Cyclist of the Year
Emmanuel Sesi
Referee of the Year
Nii Otoo Larkyne
Male footballer of the Year
Abdul Azziz Issah
Female Footballer of the Year (Foreign)
Thelma Baffoe – TP Mazembe
Female Footballer of the Year (Local)
Mukarama Abdulai – Hasaacas Ladies
National team of the Year
Ghana athletics relay team
Administrator of the Year
Bawah Fuseini – Ghana Athletic
SWAG Top 5 Federations
Ghana Athletics
Ghana Football Association
Ghana Armwrestling Federation
Ghana Boxing Federation
Ghana Hockey Association
Long Serving SWAG Award- Media
Kwabena Gyamfi (Joe Lakka)
Maxwell Owusu – Tawiah
Karl Tufour
Student-Athlete of the year
Mariam Yussif
Club of the Year female category
GRA Royal Ladies
Puller of the Year men category – non-competitive
Edward Yamoah Asamoah
Puller of the Year female -non-competitive
Grace Minta
Table Tennis player of the year
Israel Aklie
Discovery Awards of the year
Ayisha Aminu- Golf
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