Appiah, Essien hail Sannie FPA award

Sannie with the FPA best story award Two of Ghana's top footballers Stephen Appiah and Michael Essien have paid tribute to journalist Ibrahim Sannie Daara after he scooped one of the best awards in the world of international journalism.

The Ghanaian hack, who works with the BBC, along with his two colleagues Gavin Lee and Edward Main, won the Best Sports Story of the Year award at the prestigious Foreign Press Association Media Awards (FPA Media Awards).

They were presented with the awards at a ceremony in London on Tuesday night after edging out some of the best in international journalism.

Ghana captain Appiah said on his official website that Sannie's exploits fully merited the prestigious accolade.

"Ibrahim is a very good friend of mine and I am very proud of him for winning this award," Appiah said on www.stepapp.com http://www.stepapp.com .

"It is a massive achievement for him and for Ghana as a whole and I will urge all Ghanaians to send him well wishes.

"This hasn't happened overnight for Ibrahim. He has worked very hard over the years and this award proves that hard work always pay off.

"In true style he has stepped app and this is the reward for stepping app," Appiah concluded.

The award is massive accomplishment for Mr. Sannie as winning a FPA Media Award is justly seen as the crowning achievement of any journalist's career.

Essien, who plays for English giants Chelsea, has no doubts Sannie was a deserved winner.

"Youngsters should see him as a role model in achieving their own aims," Essien said on Appiah's official website.

"Ibrahim has proved that no matter who you are or where you are from you can make it if you keep trying and work hard.

"Well done to you for your hard work and achievements. Ghana, Stephen and I are all proud of you," Essien concluded.

Their investigation exposing conmen masquerading as agents in African football edged out stiff competition from the UK's Observer Newspaper and Bloomberg TV of the United States to win the award at the event presided over by the Prince of Wales, Prince Charles.

The investigation was acclaimed worldwide, as fake agents in Nigeria were exposed for exploiting many poor young Africans footballers who were conned out of thousands of dollars in the sophisticated scam.

Many of the world's major broadcasters, newspapers and news magazines were among the large number of entries for the eleven awards but the BBC dominated the event.

The Foreign Press Association in London was established in 1888 and is one of the oldest press clubs in the world.

It represents more than 740 members of the foreign media based in London from more than 70 countries and is the only body authorised to issue press cards to the foreign media in Britain.