Mohammed Kudus
Ghana’s leading sporting personalities are expected to converge at the Accra International Conference Center (AICC) where the glamorous 47th SWAG Awards ceremony would be staged.
The SWAG Awards, which would take place this Saturday, have Joseph Paul Amoah, Dede Ayew, Mohammed Kudus, and Arsenal star Thomas Partey all in contention for top awards.
Daniel Afriyie Barnieh is in the running to retain the Home-based Footballer Award of the Year. Â However, he would have ex-Ashgold forward, Yaw Annor and Kotoko goalkeeper Danlad Ibrahim to beat.
In last year’s edition, Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games medalist Samuel Takyi bagged the Sports Personality of the Year and Amateur Boxer of the Year awards.
However, the 22-year-old is absent from this year’s list of nominees which means a new champion would be crowned on the big night in Accra.
Sprinter Joseph Paul Amoah, amateur boxer Abraham Mensah, and Ajax Amsterdam star Mohammed Kudus are the three candidates who could replicate the feat achieved by Takyi in December 2021.
A 26-year-old medical practitioner Dr. Kwabena Adu Poku has been named as the 2022 Chess Player of the Year, while Kelvin Alphous would be crowned the Badminton Player of the Year for the second year running.
The race is even keener for the Athlete of the Year award with top guns Benjamin Azamati and Joseph Paul Amoah in an open contest for the prize.
In the female category, triple jumper Abigail Kwarteng and USA-based Deborah Acquah along with high jumper Rose Yeboah are all gunning for the big award.
Kwarteng and Acquah who both competed at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, UK are in pole positions for the accolade.
But, home-based Rose Yeboah boasts of a rich voting constituency that has been left impressed with her delivery. Yeboah, who won the Prospect of the Year Award at the 2019 edition and won Gold for Ghana during the 2022 Africa Athletics Championship, would be hoping to mount the podium once more.
Police Officer Grace Mintah has been nominated for the Female Arm wrestler of the Year Award.
Ghana’s Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has pledged his support for the longest-running awards scheme in the country.
He has already provided cash support of GHS 50,000 to the awards with GHS 10,000 each going to the Sports Journalist and Female footballer of the Year categories.
Ghanaian mining firm Adamus Resources Limited has become a joint headline sponsor together with MTN Ghana for the 47th Awards.