I deserve SWAG Best Coach award — Evans Adotey

The Technical Director of Medeama Sporting Club, Evans Augustine Adotey, has said he was not surprised that he emerged as Coach of the Year at the 48th Nguvu Sports Writers Association of Ghana (SWAG) Awards.

Coach Adotey explained that he was more deserving of the accolade than any of his competitors considering his hard work and achievements in the year under review.

Last Friday's at the Accra International Conference Centre saw the Medeama coach beating off competition from his counterparts at Dreams FC (Karim Zito), Ampem Darkoa Ladies (Nana Joe Adarkwa) and Black Challenge (Stephen Richard Obeng) to take home the award.

A total of 38 personalities, seven sporting federations and three corporate entities were honoured for their excellent performances in 2023, as well as diverse contributions to the development of sports in the country.

After picking his award, Coach Adotey told Graphic Sports that it felt great to receive the award and be recognised out of many coaches working hard in the country.

“There are equally good coaches handling women's and men’s football in Ghana but in the men’s category, I think I deserve it more because I won the league with Medeama, I won the Champion of Champions, I took Medeama to the Champions League in Africa and we were able to reach the money zone and we are currently playing at the group stage so I deserve this award,” he said.

Last week, Medeama named Bosnian Nebojsa Kapor as their new head coach, with Adotey reverting to the role of Technical Director of the club. He explained that the changes in the team's technical department were a realignment to its original structure.

“I was not sacked. I came to Medeama as a technical director and not head coach but after we won the league, management asked me to stand in as head coach to be registered for the Africa campaign. Now we have a head coach in the person of Nebojsa Kapor, so I was asked to revert to my technical director position,” he explained.

Other winners at the Nguvi SWAG Awards include Mohammed Kudus, who won the two most prestigious prizes on the night – Sports Personality of the Year and Male Footballer of the Year (foreign-based).

Kudus retained the two honours he won at the 2022 SWAG Awards, beating off competition from sprinter James Dadzie for the Sports Personality of the Year award. The West Ham United and Black Stars midfielder scooped the Male Footballer of the Year prize at the expense of his Black Stars teammates Ernest Nuamah of Olympic Lyon, Joseph Paintsil of Genk Club, and Osman Bukari of Red Star Belgrade.

The Female Footballer of the Year (foreign-based) award went to Princella Adubea, who beat stiff competition from Anastasia Achiaa, Blessing Shine Agbomadzi and Maafia Nyame.

Athletics sensation Dadzie won the Male Athlete of the Year award, while high jumper Rose Yeboah won the Athlete of the Year (Female).

Other honours were won by Medeama forward Jonathan Sowah (Home-based Male Footballer of the Year), Comfort Yeboah of Ampem Darkoa Ladies (Home-based Female Footballer of the Year), Abraham Asaba (Tennis Player of the Year), Rashaka Katadat (Volleyball Player of the Year), Zaira Forson (Swimmer of the Year), Haruna Tahiru (Para-Athlete of the Year), Evelyn Dzato (Discovery of the Year), Grace Mintah (Armwrestler of the Year) Joanita Borteye (Table Tennis) and Abraham Mensah (Amateur Boxer of the Year).

Ghana Table Tennis Association President, Mawuko Afadzinu, was decorated with the Administrator of the Year award, while GHALCA Chairman Kudjoe Fianoo, Nana Fosu Gyeabour, Agartha Hagan and Joseph Addo were each honoured with Dedication and Valour awards.

Graphic Sports Editor, Maurice Quansah; Rosalind Amoh of the Graphic Sports/ Daily Graphic, Sammy Heywood-Okine, George Kuntu Blankson and Barima Otuo Acheampong were honoured with Long Service awards for their dedication to SWAG and sports journalism.

Gary Al-Smith of the Multimedia Group won the SWAG Journalist of the Year award with a GH₵10,000 cash prize sponsored by the Vice-President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, who was the Special Guest of Honour.