Solomon Akunor cries foul over SWAG Awards

Accra, Dec. 31, GNA - Solomon Akunor, a member of the National Table Tennis Team, the Golden Loopers says he is at a loss as to the criteria used by the Sports Writers Association of Ghana (SWAG) in selecting the 2004 Table Tennis player of the year.

The disgruntled Akunor told the GNA Sports on Friday that he felt overlooked by the Association in their selection and such decisions would not auger well for the development of the game.

SWAG on Thursday named Nana Yaw Boateng from Koforidua for the second time running as the 2004 Table Tennis player of the year. Akunor expressed shock at the decision of SWAG and said for so long some of them have sat down and watched, as on many occasions and felt it was time for the right personalities to be selected and recognised with awards.

"It is high time the body came out with the criteria used in selecting award winners for the public to understand their verdict since what is happening is not transparent". The player noted.

The player said, he emerged champion in three of the four major table tennis competitions organised by the Ghana Table Tennis Association (GTTA) in 2004 and saw no reason why he should be sidelined for the 18-year-old player.

According to Akunor, he led the Greater Accra team to emerge champions at the National Sports Festival held in Kumasi and was at the same time the National Singles Champion at the same competition. Akunor said he also emerged champion in the City Phones Open Championship as well as champion for one of the two open championships organised by J. A. Binney Company Limited in conjunction with the GTTA. The 20-year-old Akunor said he played an influential role at the Africa Youth Championship hosted by Ghana to win a bronze medal and wondered why SWAG overlooked all these achievements while considering those to be awarded.

Akunor said as far as he was aware his general performance in the year 2004 was far better than that of Boateng.

Disappointed Akunor has, therefore, called on SWAG to review its decision to reflect the real situation on the ground since such flagrant acts would not motivate Sportsmen and Sportswomen to put up their best for the nation.