Sports
Golden Jubilee SWAG Awards Tonight
Call it a night of celebration, where sports and music converge on one stage. The 50th edition of the Sports Writers Association of Ghana (SWAG) Awards will take place tonight at the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC), promising an evening of glamour, recognition, and entertainment.
The Golden Jubilee edition commemorates 50 years of excellence since the awards’ inception in 1975, honoring Ghana’s best sporting heroes and heroines. The event will not only celebrate the present generation of athletes but also veterans who excelled over the past five decades.
High-profile guests include President John Dramani Mahama, Chief of Staff Julius Debrah, and AIPS President Gianni Merlo.
SWAG has prepared an impressive entertainment lineup, headlined by Afropop star Stonebwoy, with appearances expected from Fameye.
Golden Jubilee Ambassadors
Personalities to be decorated as 50th Anniversary Ambassadors include:
- Margaret Simpson – Athletics
- Azumah Nelson – Boxing
- Abedi Ayew Pele – Football
- Michael Essien – Football
- Kwadwo Asamoah – Football
- Stephen Appiah – Football
- Samuel Osei Kuffour – Football
- Adwoa Bayor – Football
- Alberta Sackey – Football
Awards Highlights for 2024
Coach of the Year: Frimpong Manso (Gold Stars) vs. James Kwesi Appiah (Sudan)
Referee/Umpire of the Year: Daniel Laryea (Football), Francis Yeboah (Badminton), Clement Smith (Athletics)
National Team of the Year:
- Black Queens
- National Badminton Doubles Team
- Golden Arms (Armwrestling)
- Black Cranes (Weightlifting)
Club of the Year: Police Ladies, Kumasi Asante Kotoko, Faith Ladies, Bibiani Gold Stars
Top 5 Federations: Ghana Athletics, Ghana Armwrestling Federation (GAF), Ghana Badminton, Ghana Weightlifting Federation (GWF), Ghana Cricket Association (GCA), Ghana Rugby Football Union (GRFU)
Other Awards:
- Athlete of the Year: Abdul Rasheed Saminu
- Boxer of the Year: Gideon Pappoe, George Dowuona, Mathias Ashittey
- Weightlifter of the Year: Emmanuel Amo Boateng
- Footballer of the Year – Male (Foreign Based): Jordan Ayew, Antoine Semenyo, Kudus Mohammed
- Footballer of the Year – Female (Foreign Based): Grace Asantewaa, Chantelle Boye Hlorkah
- Footballer of the Year – Male (Home Based): Stephen Amankona, Benjamin Asare, Razak Simpson
- Footballer of the Year – Female (Local Based): Comfort Yeboah
- Student Athlete of the Year: Phillip Tetteh Odjer (Male, Athletics), Moslina Adu (Female, Badminton)
- Discovery of the Year: Yayra Akos Agozi (Female, Weightlifting), Michael Agyapong Mensah (Male, Table Tennis)
- Swimmer of the Year: Josel Mensah
- Badminton Player of the Year: Obaponba Adu Minta
- Puller of the Year: Mabel Yeboah
- Para-Athlete of the Year: Zainabu Issah
- Meritorious Awards: Moses Adu (Badminton), Husseini Akueteh Addy (Armwrestling)
- Dedication and Valour: Portia Boakye (Football), Yaw Agyeman (Athletics)
- SWAG Lifetime Achievement Award: Brestford Amui (Horse Racing/Administrator), Asamoah Gyan (Football), Andre Dede Ayew (Football), Anthony Yeboah (Football)
- Sports Administrator of the Year: Evans Kojo Yeboah (Badminton)
- Table Tennis Player of the Year: Emmanuel Commey / James Marfo
- SWAG President’s Award: Henry Arko
This year’s awards promise glitter, excitement, and recognition of Ghana’s finest in sports, both past and present, making it a night to remember.
By Andrew Nortey
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Otto Addo is taking a calm and focused approach to the World Cup after being drawn against England, Panama, and Croatia in Group L.
“I look forward to every game as special,” he told ghanafa.org.
“Very important for us that we don’t underrate any team. For sure, England is the favourite in that group,” he acknowledged. “But for me as a coach, to be honest, I’m looking at each and every game equally.”
Addo is particularly focused on getting a strong start against Panama. “I’m hoping that we have a good start against Panama, that will be very, very crucial,” he said. “It will make the other games a little bit more relaxed and easier for the players psychologically. We will use the window of March for test matches, and then see,” he said.
Despite being a young team, Addo is proud of his squad’s progress. “I think we did very well in the qualifiers ” he said. “We didn’t lose a single official game, like the qualifying games, we did very well. We just played one draw and the rest we won, so we had quite a good year in 2025, after a bad year in 2024’’.
“Even though we have a very young team, we really, really did well, had a good harmony in the team, good union,” he added.
Ghana will open their FIFA World Cup campaign against Panama in Toronto on June 17 before facing England and Croatia in the other Group L matches on June 23 and 27 respectively.
The unbeaten away run of Accra Hearts of Oak will be put to the test tomorrow when they visit the Aliu Mahama Sports Stadium in Tamale to play as guests of Karela United. Described as one of the top-liners of the weekend games, the match will pitch one of the best home teams against the best away team, with their records on the line.
After playing a pulsating 2-2 draw with Kumasi Asante Kotoko last week, league leaders Medeama SC return to their fortress, the TnA Stadium, to welcome Berekum Chelsea FC in a clash of former league winners. Medeama have struggled in recent times to hold their own against the ‘Bibires’, losing their last four games both home and away.
However, according to Head Coach of Medeama, Tanko Ibrahim, that sequence of results will come to an end tomorrow as they look to crawl out of the claws of their opponents with victory. Eleven points separate the sides, with Berekum Chelsea lying a distant 14th position on the log. They have been a pale shadow of themselves this season, and it remains to be seen if Coach Samuel Boadu’s side can keep the bragging rights over the Yellow and Mauves in what has been described as one of their worse starts to a league season.
Today, second-placed Kpando Heart of Lions will trek to the Kwame Kyei Sports Complex in Abrankese to play as guests of struggling Nations FC. Having suffered a 1-0 away loss to Basake Holy Stars in their last game, Nations FC would look to pick all three points to better their current 12th position.
In other games, the Hohoe Sports Stadium will come alive as new boys Hohoe United FC welcome Kumasi Asante Kotoko. The Nii Adjei Kraku II Sports Complex in Tema will host the Vision FC versus Young Apostles FC game, the Tuba Astro Turf will host the Dreams FC versus Bechem United FC clash, while the Nsenkyire Sports Arena will host the Samartex FC versus Bibiani Gold Stars game. High-riding Aduana FC will sort things out with Basake Holy Stars at the Nana Agyeman Badu I Park in Dormaa.
By Raymond Ackumey
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