Isaac Kwame Asiamah, the Minister for Youth and Sports has appealed to the Sports Writers Association of Ghana (SWAG) to institute an awards scheme that will also honour the best Sports Journalist of the year.

He made this call at the annual SWAG Awards Night held at the Alisa Hotel in Accra, last Saturday.

The ceremony was organized to reward outstanding sportsmen and women who have performed creditably in their various fields in the year under review.

The Minister appealed to the leadership of SWAG to institute and include awards for the best Sports Journalists in the country, as a way of encouraging them to work hard.

He said the Ministry will bear the cost of prizes for the awards scheme.

He added that “I would also like to propose to SWAG to institute a category to rank top five hardworking sports federations each year to be announced at your annual ceremonies”.

Mr. Asiamah disclosed that procurement processes are almost completed for the construction of an Olympic Stadium Complex and other facilities for the hosting of the African Games in 2023 in Ghana.

He noted that the games would involve 54 participating countries and 25 sporting disciplines adding that “I foresee a very exciting period ahead for sports journalists in Ghana. This is occasioned by the honour accorded Ghana to host the 13th African Games in 2023.

He said the Ministry of Youth and Sports would seek closer collaboration with SWAG to ensure that Ghanaian athletes were well prepared for the Games.

Mr. Asiamah said the image of Ghana was marketed as the most preferred sports event destination in Africa as Ghana prepares to host and organize the 13th edition of the Africa Games.

He also urged the Association to lead efforts to conscientize all Ghanaians to consider the impending elections as a game between political parties, adding that, “we in sports believe, understand and appreciate that in any game situation, teams are to apply the principle of fair play and obey the rules of the game, and in the end, the best team emerges victorious”.

The Minister commended the leadership of SWAG for having the power of resilience to overcome the global challenge and maintaining the enviable record of the longest-running sports event in Ghana even in this COVID-19 era.

He said that the hardships sports writers have gone through in this Covid-19 period cannot go unnoticed.

He noted that “as sports journalists, your work has virtually come to a standstill and you need to delve into your archives to produce materials to sustain your readers”.

The ceremony saw a number of budding talents in the sports field in Ghana rewarded for their sterling performances for the year 2019.