Who wins the 37th SWAG Sports Man of the year?

Andre Dede Ayew

The most glamourous national awards to honour sports men and women who have distinguished themselves in the course of the year, comes off tomorrow at the State House, Banquet Hall on Saturday.

Who will it be?
Ajara Mohamed

The Paralympic athlete Ajara Mohamed won two gold medals at the 2011 All Africa Games in Maputo. She looks likely to clinch the most prestigious award, because a gold medal by an individual is equivalent to a gold medal by a team.

Andre Dede Ayew
He was instrumental in Olympic Marseille's team that won The Coupe de la Ligue, known outside of France as the French League Cup. In addition to this he also helped his club to win the Trophée des champions, an annual match between the champions of Ligue 1 and the winners of the Coupe de France. It is equivalent to the Super Cups found in many countries. His contributions earned him the Olympic Marseille's player of the 2010-2011 season. He also won the prestigious BBC African footballer of the year 2011 and third in the CAF African footballer of the year. This makes him favourite to clinch the SWAG Sportsman of year 2011.

Harrison Afful
He scored the only goal of the Caf champions league final for Esperance Sportive of Tunisia and was named in CAF's African team of the year 2011.

AWARDS NOMINEES FOR OTHER CATEGORIES ARE;
FOOTBALLER OF THE YEAR
*Andre Ayew - Africa's third best player/Consistent performer in Europe

*Emmanuel Agyemang Badu - Consistent performance for Black Star/in Europe

*Harrison Afful- Winner of CAF Champions League with Esperance Tunisia

PREMIERSHIP PLAYER OF THE YEAR/GOAL KING
Emmanuel Baffoe (New Edubiasie FC)
CLUB OF THE YEAR
Nania FC - Excellent performance in FA Cup and Super Cup Competitions

NATIONAL TEAM OF THE YEAR
*Black Meteors - Gold medalists at the All Africa Games.

ATHLETES OF THE YEAR
*Male: Patrick Obeng – Silver medalists at All Africa Games

*Female: Ajara Mohamed –Two Gold medalists at All Africa Games

COACH OF THE YEAR
*James Akwasi Appiah - Coach of Black Meteors/Gold medalist at All Africa Games.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR, HOCKEY
Male: Opoku Danso Aikings - Excellent performance for the national team and club.

Female: Grace Mensah - Great performance in the year with club and national team.

PROFESSIONAL BOXER OF THE YEAR.
*Braimah “Bukom Banku” Kamoko – Number two contender for WBO Light Heavy weight title, WBO- Africa Champion, World Professional Boxing Federation (WPBF) Champion.

TABLE TENNIS
Felix Lartey
BADMINTON
Solomon Nyarko / Daniel Sam- Bronze medalists at All African Games

TAE-KWON DO
Fatau Hassan- Bronze medalist at All African Games.

ASSOCIATION CHAIRMAN OF THE YEAR
Francis Adjetey-Sowah - Africa / Ghana Amputee Football Associations

PROMISING STAR OF THE YEAR

Ophelia Swain - The youngest best swimmer who participated at the All African Games.

DEDICATION AND VALOUR
Margaret Simpson - For consistency and dedication to the cause of the nation.

SPECIAL AWARDS
Beach Volleyball Team -Bronze medalists at All African Games

Aziz Zakari - Dedicated service to the nation in athletics

B.B. Bismark- A football administrator / former patron of SWAG

Freeman Kwame - A former Boxing Promoter
Stephen Kofi Antwi - A former International Boxing Referee /Judge with Ghana Fire Service.

Golden Mike Boxing Promotions - Consistent Boxing Promoter

Brief history of SWAG
The annual SWAG awards night is the brain child of B.B Bismark a keen sports enthusiast and one time team manager of the Black Stars

Its 1st president was Mr. Joe Lartey of GBC.
LIST OF PREVIOUS WINNERS OF SPORTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF GHANA'S TOP MOST AWARDS (SPORTSMAN OF THE YEAR OR SPORTS PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR)

1973
In 1973, the top most awards were top scorer (Baba Yara Shield) and Best defender( Robert Mensah shield): winners- Top Scorer-Peter Lamptey with 21 gosals for Hearts and Dan Oppong (Kotoko) won the best Defender, while Akuetteh Armah (Corners),won the best utility player. So the awards were football biased in 1973

Official commencement of the awards
1974- D. K. Poison ( Boxer)
1975- D. K. Poison ( Boxer)
1976- No Sportsman of the year award. This was the 1st SWAG awards sponsored by Kumasi Brewery Limited(KBL)

1977- Richard "Scorpion" Ofosu ( Boxer)
1978- Azumah Nelson ( Boxer)
1979- No Sportsman of the year award
1980- Azumah Nelson( Boxer) ( Boxer)
1981- Azumah Nelson( Boxer) ( Boxer)
1982- No Sportsman of the year award
1983- No Sportsman of the year award but there was

Sports personality award that went to Ackah Blay Meizah, the Chairman of Eleven wise for the manner at which he saved the club from doldrum and the interest he has generated in soccer generally.

1984- Azumah Nelson( Boxer)
1985- Azumah Nelson( Boxer)
1986- Azumah Nelson( Boxer)
1988- Azumah Nelson ( Boxer)
1989- Nana Yaw Konadu ( Boxer)
1990- Abedi Ayew Pele (Footballer)
1991- Black Starlets (A Football team)
1992- Tony Yeboah(Footballer)
1993- Abedi Ayew Pele/Tony Yeboah (Footballers)
1994- Ike Quartey( Boxer)
1995- Ike Quartey( Boxer)and Azumah Nelson(Boxer) won the Sports personality of the year

1996- Ike Quartey( Boxer)
1997- Ike Quartey( Boxer)
1998- Raymond Narh ( Boxer)
1999-Leo Myles-Mills (Athlete-Sprinter)
2000-No Sportsman of the year award, but Emmanuel Osei Kuffour won the player of the year

2001- Emmanuel Osei Kuffour ( Footballer)
2002-Margaret Simpson ( Athlete)
2003-Ignatius Gaisah ( Athlete)
2004-Ignatius Gaisah ( Athlete)
2005-Ignatius Gaisah ( Athlete)
2006- Stephen Appiah (Footballer)
2007- Joseph Agbeko(Boxer)
2008- Joshua Clottey (Boxer)
2009- Dominic Adiyiah (Footballer)
2010- Asamoah Gyan (Footballer)
2011- Short-listed sportsmen
SPORTS PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR 2011
*Ajara Mohamed - Two gold medalists at 2011 All Africa Games

*Andre Ayew - Africa's third best player/Consistent performer for club and national team

*Harrison Afful - Winner of CAF Champions League with Esperance

N/B:
The difference between Sportsman of the year and Sports personality of the year is that sportsman of the year is awarded solely to sportsmen whiles Sports personality of the year is awarded to sports administrators, sports enthusiasts and sportsmen who don't qualify for the Sportman of the year. For instance Azumah Nelson after 1988 was honoured as lifetime guest of honour for all SWAG functions which enables him to sit on the high table with other dignitaries. This disqualified him from the Sportman of the year award. He won the sports personality of the year in 1995 and Ike Quartey won the Sportman of the year.

***SWAG in 1992 Proclaimed March 28th as Azumah Nelson Day for Sportmen.