Asamoah Gyan Wins SWAG Top Award

Asamoah Gyan (with trophy) being congratulated by the SWAG President, Ackah Anthony (left), SWAG Patron, Eposito (2nd right) after being crowned Sports Personality of the Year.

Black Stars' striker, Asamoah Gyan, was last Saturday night crowned the 2010 SWAG Sports Personality of the Year at the 36th MTN Sports Writers Association of Ghana(SWAG) Awards night held at the State Banquet Hall.

He beat other nominees:Richard Kingson, leading Black Stars goalkeeper and the IBF Batamweight Champion Joseph 'KingKong' Agbeko.

Moments after he had been called to the podium to receive a plaque, a certificate and products from MTN, the star-striker was at his entertaining best with hiplife artiste, Castro and the duo performed on the stage to the delight of the audience.

The Sunderland goal-getter also won the Footballer of the Year award in an event that was witnessed by a full-house which was entertained by the Ramblers Band.

The event attracted high profile guests including Mr. Danny Jordan, the Chairman of the Local Organising Committee(LOC) that organised the first ever World Cup competition in Africa and Nana Kobina Nketsia V, Omanhene of Esikado Traditional Area.

The accompanying citation to the 25-year old Gyan's awards noted his sterling performance for the Black Stars in 2010 during the Nations Cup in Angola where he propelled the Stars to the finals and the South Africa 2010 World Cup where he once again showed his goal-scoring prowess to power Ghana to a historic World Cup quarter-finals.

The night did not only belong to the Sunderland ace scorer, as 32 other awards were received by deserving athletes, institutions,sportsmen and women and corporate entities.

Among them was former Star's skipper Stephen Appiah who won the Dedication and Valour award, the GFA President, Kwesi Nyantakyi, the Chairman of the Year and Team of the Year which went to the senior national team, the Black Stars.

Two-time Commonwealth bronze medallist, Awusoni Yekini, won the Best Amateur Boxer award, while young and enterprising Jonny Botsio took home the Promising star of the Year, for emerging the highest scorer during the Junior national team's first Olympic youth qualifiers.

Batamweight Champion, Joseph 'Kingkong' Agbeko, won the Professional Boxer of the Year award with the best male and female athlete of the year going to Aziz Zakari and Anita Fordjour respectively. The best male and female table tennis player awards went to Felix Lartey and Beatrice Gyasi.Nsalbini Salia and Ramatu Abass took home the best male and female hockey players of the year.

Mfantsipim Senior High took the best male basketball team of the year as Sacred Heart Senior High won the female's category.

George Osei was the best male golfer and Grace Afriyie took the female award. New Edubiase's Mumuni Abubakari was adjudged the Premiership Player of the Year, Joseph Mingle and Lawrence Nyanyo Nmai were adjuded Kickboxers for the year 2010.

Special Meritorious Awards were givento the national Female Relay Team, Black Challenge, the Black Star's midfielder, Kevin Prince Boateng, and Promasidor Ghana Limited. The rest are Goldfields Ghana, Reverend Nii Koi, Andre Dede Ayew, Mr Simms Mensah, the late Tommy Thompson, Stanbic Bank and Fred Pappoe.

The Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports, Nii Nortey Dua reiterated government's desire to develop sports as a tool for national unity.

He stated that this year's National Unity Games would be a new beginning for the development of sports.