Minister launches 41st MTN SWAG Awards
The Minister of Youth and Sports, Mr Edwin Nii Lante Vanderpuye, on Wednesday launched the 41st MTN SWAG Awards at MTN House in Accra, with an appeal to the communications giant to extend their support to other sporting disciplines to enhance the development of Ghanaian sports.
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He noted that Ghana lagged behind in corporate sponsorship for sports, hence MTN’s six-year support for the nation’s premier sports awards was very laudable and worth emulating.
He further entreated MTN to support the Sports Writers Association of Ghana to complete their club house (SWAG House) for the administrative purposes of the association.
“We’ve always been dreaming about building a SWAG House. You invited us to this beautiful and cozy, state-of-the-art structure of yours so help us to be able to finish our own state of the art building. It is a long term project but I am asking MTN to think about it as part of their corporate social responsibility for the next number of years.
“I am asking that apart from sponsoring the SWAG awards and the others they are doing, they should extend the help to others,” Mr Vanderpuye said.
The minister lauded SWAG, a professional body he identified with as a former sports broadcaster, for not only sustaining the prestigious ceremony but also safeguarding the integrity of the awards, which have been devoid of controversy over the years.
SWAG president Kwabena Yeboah announced that the awards would come off on Saturday, June 4, 2016 at the Banquet Hall of the State House in Accra, with the minister attending as a special guest while the British High Commissioner to Ghana, Jon Benjamin, would deliver the keynote address as Special Guest of Honour.
He said honours would be conferred on 26 individuals and corporate bodies for outstanding performances in 2015.
Mrs Cynthia Lumor, Corporate Services Executive of MTN, announced that the communications giant had extended its relationship with SWAG as headline Sponsor of the prestigious awards into the sixth year because it was “happy with the marriage” as well as excited to be part of recognising and honouring people for their contribution to sports.
She announced that MTN was providing GH¢40,000 as sponsorship money as well as MTN products as part of prizes to the award winners.
“We are very pleased that SWAG has featured prominently in our 20-year history and continues to partner with us to a future of unlimited opportunities. On the occasion of the launch of the 41st edition of this esteemed award, we congratulate you as your efforts have contributed to raising the overall standard of sports in the country,” she said.