By Ameenu Shardow
Andre Ayew won the 2012 Footballer of the Year at an elegant ceremony organized by the Sports Writers Association of Ghana at the State Banquet Hall on Saturday night.
The 22-year-old fend off competition from Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu and Harrison Afful to win the annual award.
The Olympique Marseille midfielder is being rewarded for his exceptional 2010/2011 season for both club and country.
Ayew, the second son of legendary Abedi Pele won the French Cup with Marseille in the season under review while helping the Black Stars seal qualification to the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.
He however missed out on the ultimate award of the night which went to Gold wining power cyclist at the 2011 All Africa Games in Maputo Mozambique.
Harrison Afful was the other contender for this award.
List of award winners:
Sports Personality of the Year
Ajara Mohammed
Footballer of the Year
Andre Dede Ayew
Premier League Player of the Year
Emmanuel Baffour
National Team of the Year
Black Meteors
Club of the Year
Nania FC
Coach of the Year
James Kwasi Appiah
Footballer of the Year
Andre Ayew
Top Scorer for the 2011/12 Football Season
Emmanuel Baffour
Taekwondo
Fatao Alhassan
Badminton
Solomon Nyarko
Daniel Sam
Hockey Player of the Year
Opoku Danso Aikins (Male)
Grace Mensah (Female)
Athletics
Patrick Obeng (Male)
Ajara Mohammed (Female)
Professional Boxer of the Year
Braimah Kamoko ‘Bukom Banku’
Table Tennis Player of the Year
Felix Lartey
Promising Star of the Year
Ophelia Swayne
Association Chairman of the Year
Francis Adjetey-Sowah
Dedication and Valour
Magaret Simpson
Special Awards
Goldfields Ghana Limited (Sponsorship)
Aziz Zakari (Athletics)
B.B Bismark
Golden Mike Promotions (Boxing)
Freeman Kwame (Boxing)
Stephen Kofi Antwi (Boxing)
Beach Volleyball Team