Legendary sports commentator and war veteran Joe Lartey is dead

Legendary sports commentator, Joachim Awuley Lartey, commonly known as “Over to You Joe Lartey" has passed away at age 96.

The death of the legendary sports journalist was confirmed by the Sports Writers Association of Ghana (SWAG) in a statement released on Saturday, April 27, 2024.

"The Sports Writers Association of Ghana (SWAG) announces the death of Mr Joachim Awuley Lartey aka ‘Joe Lartey’ on April 26, 2024," SWAG wrote.

"Late ‘Joe Lartey’ was the first President of SWAG and passed at 96. Further details on his demise and other arrangements will be announced in due course."

Joe Lartey was an astute journalist whose career started in 1961 when he worked with the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC).

He began in the talks and features department before transitioning to the sports department and later became a household name.

The renowned broadcaster served as the first president of SWAG after the inception of the group in 1968.

Lartey, at some point in his esteemed career, practised journalism in Nigeria for about a decade.

At the peak of his broadcasting career, Joe Lartey had the late Lt Col Festus Addae as his co-commentator who would often say, “Over to you, Joe Lartey!”, when handing over to Lartey who was often the lead commentator. The phrase later became popular among sports journalists and enthusiasts in Ghana.

EE/EK