The Vice President, Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, has reaffirmed the government’s plan to establish a School Sports Authority to oversee and coordinate sports development from the basic level through to the tertiary sector.
The proposed authority will organise regular inter-school and inter-university competitions and create a structured system for youth talent identification.
She announced the initiative at the 50th Sports Writers Association of Ghana (SWAG) Awards held last Saturday, November 16, 2025, in Accra, noting that it forms part of broader reforms aimed at strengthening the country’s sports sector.
SWAG
The annual event, instituted in 1975 honours outstanding achievements of deserving Ghanaian sportsmen, sportswomen, teams and officials in various disciplines .
The event also acknowledged excellence in sports administration and journalism.
Antoine Semenyo and Benjamin Asare emerged as two of the biggest winners at this year’s SWAG Awards.
In recognition of her leadership and inspiration to women, Professor Opoku-Agyemang was presented with a special plaque.
Interventions
Prof. Opoku-Agyemang highlighted ongoing interventions, including the establishment of a Fixed Asset Coordinating Unit within the National Sports Authority (NSA) to address long-standing infrastructural challenges and assess major sports facilities.
“Under the leadership of His Excellency John Dramani Mahama, Ghana’s sports and recreation sector is determined to rebuild grassroots systems.
Central to this is the creation of a dedicated School Sports Authority to oversee athletic programming from the basic school level through to the universities,” she said.
“A fixed asset coordinating unit has been inaugurated within the National Sports Authority to carry out the evaluation of major sports facilities, improve use, address long-standing revenue concerns, and heighten the oversight of stadium operations,” she said.
She also revealed that the government is rolling out an e-ticketing system in stadia, to curb revenue shortfalls and ensure accurate record keeping.
These measures are designed to modernise the sports sector and enhance youth participation and development.
“To further modernise Ghana’s sports infrastructure, the Ministry is working to roll out electronic e-ticketing at the national stadium”, she added.
The Vice President commended the award recipients, and urged them to continue excelling in their respective fields.
Winners
Antoine Semenyo emerged as the SWAG Male Footballer of the Year for foreign-based players, while Benjamin Asare was awarded Male Home-Based Footballer of the Year.
The UDS football team was honoured as the SWAG Football Personality of the Year, recognizing their exceptional performance and influence in Ghanaian football.
The evening featured a broad spectrum of awardees across various sports disciplines. Obaponba Adu claimed Badminton Player of the Year, while Emmanuel Kummey and James Marfo shared Table Tennis Player of the Year honors.
Other notable winners included Fuseinu Issah as Wrestler of the Year, Vivian Nakor for Hockey Player of the Year, and Zirnabu Issah named Para Athlete of the Year.
Yayra Akos Agozi and Michael Agyapong Mensah received the Discovery of the Year awards for female and male athletes respectively.
The Dedication and Valour honors went to Portia Boakye and Yaw Agyemang, while lifetime achievement awards were bestowed on iconic sports figures such as Asamoah Gyan, Andrew Ayew, Stephen Appiah, Anthony Yeboah, and Barisford.
Evans Yeboah was named Sport Administrator of the Year, while Bill Eshun earned the Sport Journalist of the Year award.
