By 
The Sports Writers Association of Ghana (SWAG) on Saturday, September 5, 2020 has inaugurated its Western Region branch.
The event held at the Naakoff Chinese Hotel in Takoradi saw media personnel across the length and breath of the Western Region in attendance.
The inauguration of the Western Region branch is in line with the objective to make SWAG vibrant nationwide and mobilize practicing sports journalists under its umbrella.
Addressing the gathering, the President of SWAG, Mr. Kwabena Yeboah highlighted the need for every practising sports journalist to join the association and the benefit one stand to gain.
He assembled the benefit that await a SWAG member by stating that, once registered as a member of the association, it automatically qualifies a journo to become a member of AIPS International which provides series of opportunities for its members.
“There are opportunities for every SWAG member because it makes you a member of AIPS International which facilitate traveling of sports journalists outside the country. We create a SWAG card for every member and we will make sure it become as relevant as possible and I have already interacted with the President of the Ghana Football Association [Kurt Okraku] and stakeholders of other associations on that. The card will also facilitate your movement outside the country because it qualifies you to be an AIPS International member. AIPS also provide educational and other opportunities for its members”
He added that, “Our mission is to inaugurate and bring together sports journalists across the country under one umbrella and carry on from where our forefathers left us. We have over thousand practising sports journalists across the country and we [SWAG] saw the need to bring all of them under the same umbrella with one voice..”
“Sharing of opportunities is accrued to our profession as sports journalists. We hope to build the capacity of our sports journalists across the country. We focus on sharpening our skills by organising lectures and seminars to improve the quality of sports journalism in the country…”
The Member of Parliament for Effia Constituency, Hon Joseph Cudjoe lauded the leadership of SWAG for the initiative and pledged his unflinching support towards the success of the association in the Western Region.
At the event, the executives of the Western Regional branch of the association was inaugurated with ace sports journalist Kuntu Blankson as the chairman with Ekow Essilfie as the vice.
Oti Asrifi Mensah Joseph was named the Secretary of the association with Mr. Kweku Sagoe as his assistant.
Stephen Kwame Yeboah, a renowned and respect sportscaster in the Western Region will be the organizer, Amy Fynn-Thompson is in charge of welfare while Samuel Osei Bediako (JM Ceaser] will serve as the treasurer with Kyei Baffour, Omar Sanda Salifu, James Kojo Bawa Anderson as members.
They will serve as the interim executives for the association in the Western Region for the next two years before substantive executives are elected.
Gracing the event was the Western Regional Minister Hon. Kobby Otchere-Darko Mensah, MP for Effia Constituency Hon Joseph Cudjoe, DCE of Ahanta East Hon. Wilson Arthur and the Western Regional Sports Director Mr. Joseph Alarbi Bortey among other invited dignitaries…
The Western Region becomes the fifth branch of SWAG after Volta, Bono, Ashanti and the Eastern Regions.
About SWAG
SWAG, the umbrella body for sports journalist in the country has been in existence for over 52 years and have inaugurated branches in Volta, Ashanti , Eastern and the Bring Ahafo Regions.
SWAG is noted for honouring sports excellence annually through the SWAG Awards and the SWAG Cup which is often contested among the top football clubs in Ghana annually.
-
By : Kwame Yeboah
Comments