By Tilda Acorlor
One of the founding members of Handball in Ghana Mr. Stephen Komla Hlordze has been nominated to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award at the upcoming 48th SWAG Awards slated for January 12, 2023, at the International Conference Center in Accra.
Popularly known as S.K. Hlordze, he was the former Deputy Chief Sports Organizer of the National Sports Authority (NSA), then Sports Council.
The Sports Writers Association of Ghana (SWAG), the umbrella body of sports journalists in Ghana announced the nominees for the 48th edition of the most prestigious SWAG Awards where his name was spotted in the Lifetime Achievement Category.
Mr. S. K. Hlordze and Mr. Katé Caesar, then a visiting lecturer at Specialist Training College P. E Department, Winneba, now known as the University of Education, Winneba both introduced and started the Game of handball in Ghana in 1975.
Since then the sport has featured in many international competitions in and outside Ghana.
The first international competition in Handball took place in Accra in May 1977 between Ghana and Togo with the return encounter in Lome, Togo two weeks later under the supervision of Mr. S.K. Hlordze.
Since 1977, the game has not seen much infrastructural growth and development but has come to stay as one of the recognized sports in Ghana.
The nomination which means a lot to Mr. Hlordze and his family is in honor of the 93-year-old’s contributions towards Handball as a recognized sport in Ghana.
Mr. Hlordze who has been nominated together with Captain Rtd. Andrew Sam was recently honored by organizers of the Volta Fair at the just-ended Sports and Investment Summit and Awards in Ho.
The SWAG Awards is an event to celebrate sports excellence among top-performing sports athletes, federations, and persons who have partnered with and promoted sports in the country as well as top journalists for their long service.
This year’s promises to be exciting as organizers say it will be bigger and better than previous editions.
“…the 48th edition promises to be bigger and better.”
The SWAG Awards have been consistently organized since 1975.