2nd National Sports Awards held

Accra, Sept 01, GNA - The second edition of the National Sports Awards instituted by the Ministry of Education, Science and Sports was held at the La Palm Royal Beach on Thursday August 31. The awards, instituted two years ago, conferred honours on distinguished sports personalities in 2005 as well as past heroes and heroines of the nation.

The night saw the induction of Vida Anim, Africa's Sprint Queen, members of the relay quartet that won gold at the last Africa Athletic Championship in Mauritius, Majeti Fetrie, gold medallist at the last Commonwealth games in weightlifting and Mr Emmanuel Tettey Kodzi into the national hall of fame.

Messrs Ben Koufie and Edward Awuah Nyamekye, former Chairmen of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), Fred Osam Doudou, former Coach of the senior national team, the Black Stars and Eddie Blay, former Commonwealth gold medallist in boxing were honoured as national sports heroes.

Messrs Blay and Koufie were also presented with grand medals for their role in the development of sports in the country. Nii Odartey Lamptey, 1991 World Juvenile footballer of the year, Magaret Simpson, Heptathlon Queen, Ignatius Gaisah current Africa and Commonwealth Long Jump champion, Azumah Nelson former World Boxing Council (WBC) Super Featherweight Champion and Nana Kwesi Gyau Gyan III, a key member of the Black Stars in 1963 and 1964 Olympic team were honoured as the nation's role model.

Members of the corporate world were not left out with the likes of Goldfields Ghana Limited, headline sponsors of the Black Stars, Scancom Ghana Limited operators of Areeba, communication sponsors of the Black Stars, Metropolitan TV, Ecobank, Puma, sports ware manufacturers and kit sponsors of the Black Stars among others received special prizes for their contribution towards the development of sports in the country. Papa Owusu Ankomah, Minister of Education, Science and Sports, said since the institution of the award two years ago there had been remarkable successes in various sporting disciplines resulting in the first ever gold and bronze medals in athletics at the World Athletic Championship and gold medal in we ightlifting at the Commonwealth Games held in Melbourne, Australia.

"As a ministry that appreciates excellence and positive contribution towards sports development, we are organising this 2nd National Sports Awards to honour outstanding sports personalities'. He said the awards ceremony would be a continuous affair and assured sporting personalities and co-operate bodies that they would be selected for subsequent awards.