High Jump prospect, Rose Amoanimaa Yeboah, on Friday etched her name in the history of the Sports Writers Association of Ghana (SWAG) Awards when she swept two major awards at the 49th edition of the event held at the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC).
Graced by the Vice President, Prof. Jane Naana Opoku Agyemang, and newly appointed Minister designate for Sports and Recreation, Kofi Iddie Adams, Amoanimaa beats a strong field of competitors to win the flagship Sports Personality of the Year Award following his exploits in the year under review.
With equally impressive credentials of her main competitor, Grace Mintah who came to the table with medals won from international meets, including the Africa Games and World Championship, Yeboah proved equal to the task with her impressive medal assembly.
Those feats were also enough to win her the Female Athlete of the Year gong.
Rose successfully defended her African Games championship title in the high jump held in Accra in 2024 with a jump of 1.90m.
She later qualified for her maiden Olympic Games on Paris 2024 but failed to qualify for the finals.
She also triumphed at the Confederation of African Athletics (CAA) in Cameroun where she won a gold medal and followed up with another medal winning performance at the FISU World University Games in 2023.
The night also saw several awards handed out to athletes and officials that excelled in the year of 2024.
Kelvin Amuzu set the ball rolling with the Taekwondo Athlete of the Year gong, followed by Israel Aklie with the Table Tennis Player of the Year award with Benjamin Acquah and Elizabeth Opoku winning the male and female best hockey player’s awards.
Emmanuel Sesi was adjudged the Cyclist of the Year; Alexander Adjei as Beach Soccer Player of the Year; Winnifred Ntumi as the WeIghtlifter of the Year; Abeiku Jackson as Swimmer of the Year; Grace Mintah and Edward Yamoah Asamoah as male and female pullers of the year.
Mariam Yusif was adjudged the Student Athlete of the Year while Edwin Gadayi won the Male Athlete of the Year.
Former Dreams FC star, Abdul Aziz Issah, emerged the Male Footballer of the Year and Prospect of the Year awards winner; the female footballer of the Year (home based) and same award for foreign based were swept by Mukarama Abdulai and Thelma Baffoe Atuah, respectively and Ayisha Aminu, golfer, winning the Discovery of the Year.
Ghana Premier League side, FC Samartex, and Royal Ladies won the male and female clubs of the year awards; the Coach of the Year award went to Desmond Offei; Referee/Umpire of the Year award went to Nii Otoo Larkyne of the Ghana Armwrestling Federation (GAF); the National Team of the Year award was handed to the Ghana Athletics Relay team while the President of Ghana Athletics, Mr Bawa Fuseini was adjudged the best sports administrator.
The SWAG President’s award was bestowed on Coach Kwesi Appiah and Kofi Asare Brako; Long Service Awards Media going to Joe Lakka, Maxwell Owusu Tawiah and Carl Tuffour with Bright Kamkam Boadu winning the Sports Journalist of the Year award.
Five personalities, including Mr Ernest Thompson, Dr Kweku Ofosu Asare, Ernest Danso, Gabriel Obu and Theophilus Sampah of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) received the SWAG Meritorious awards.s
The Dedication and Valour awards were bestowed on the late Emmanuel Owusu-Ansah Asare (posthumously), Hannah Akua Humphrey, Abdul Rasheed Williams (Believer), Mr Joseph Yaw Appiah, Lawrence Carl Lokko and New Juabeng Table Tennis Club.
Additionally, the Ghana Football Association (GFA), Ghana Armwrestling Federation (GAF), Ghana Athletics, Ghana Boxing Federation (GBF) and the Ghana Hockey Federation (GHF) were adjudged the top five sports federations.
BY ANDREW NORTEY