Ghana, as a West African country is endowed with an excellent and tall list of male and female athletes who have achieved great feats and made Ghana proud. They have also represented Ghana in the diaspora and commanded international recognition, thus becoming some of the most famous and celebrated athletes from Ghana.
This article throws a spotlight on some of these men and women in various sporting disciplines.
Famous athletes from Ghana in the diaspora
Ghanaians are particularly very passionate about football, athletics and boxing. Other popular sports in the country include table tennis, tennis, hockey, cricket, rugby, golf, and badminton.
Asamoah Gyan
The Ghanaian who held the Black Stars of Ghana together as the captain in 2014 will never be forgotten. Asamoah Gyan is a former striker of the national team and a current striker for Legon Cities FC in Ghana.
At age 35, and married to Gifty Gyan, with 3 children, Gyan has come a long way to achieve greatness in his career. He has taken Ghana to the rest of the world with his classic performance as he played for teams like Liberty Professionals (Ghana), Sunderland (EPL), Al Ain, Al Ahli Dubai, NorthEast United, and currently Legon Cities FC (Ghana).
He has bagged awards like the Ghana player of the year (2010, 2014), AFC Foreign Player of the Year (2014), BBC African Footballer of the year (2010).
Isaac Vorsah
Isaac Vorsah, is a talented defender on the European football scene. Born in Accra in 1988, he developed a passion for footbal from an early age, which led him to trial with TSG 1899 Hoffenheim in Germany in 2007.
His impressive performances earned him a loan deal, which later turned into a permanent transfer. Vorsah thrived in the Bundesliga, the top tier of German football, racking up over 130 appearances and scoring four goals for Hoffenheim over five seasons. His outstanding performances led to a call up to the Ghana national team, where he played a crucial role in their progress to the quarter-finals of the 2010 World Cup.
His time at Hoffenheim remains the highlight of his professional career.
André Morgan Rami Ayew
Ghanaian footballer and current captain of the Ghana’s national team – Black Stars, he was born December 17, 1989. His position on the pitch is as a winger and plays well with his current side, Swansea City of the English Premier League.
Brother to Jordan Ayew and son of Abedi Ayew Pelé. His excelling performance in the sport of football has earned him both domestic and international recognition.
Some of the awards he has to his credit include: BBC African Footballer of the Year (2011), Ghana Player of the Year (2011), Premier League Player of the Month (August 2015), etc.
Akwasi Frimpong
The sportsman of Ghanaian heritage in an unusual sport known to Ghana and he is making strides in this sport— bobsledding. Akwasi Frimpong is the man in perspective and although he’s not a hall of fame man, he is the only Ghanaian in this sport and he is doing very well for himself and for Ghana.
He became the first skeleton athlete from Africa, and for that matter Ghana! to win an elite skeleton race which was sanctioned by the USA Bobsled and Skeleton Federation in Park City, Utah.
Gemma Acheampong
This sportswoman of Ghanaian heritage specializes in sprinting events. She participated in the World Athletics Relay as a participant for Ghana in the 4 by 100 metres relay.
Gemma made her debut competition as a Ghanaian athlete in 2014 when she participated in the Commonwealth Games at Glasgow in the United Kingdom. The most recent appearance was For the World relays which took place in Poland. She is a proud alumnus of Boston University.
Abraham Seaneke
Born on the 31st of May 1996, Abraham has grown to be a very athletic person. His knack for long jump and high jump became more apparent when he joined the Ebenezer Senior High School in Ghana where interschools and regional High school sports events are highly competitive.
He is the record holder of his High school and also was a 3 time champion of the Greater Accra Regional Champion (2 times Long Jump and 1 for High Jump). Seaneke’s abilities led him to become a double gold medalist at the University of Ghana Sports Association winning both long jump and triple jump.
Ever since he gained admission into West Texas A&M University, Seaneke’s talent has been shining though. He broke Curtis Lofton’s long jump record set back in 1977 with a leap of 7.59 meters. He has earned several honours and awards while representing his school. In 2019, he was named Lone star Conference Male Field Athlete of the year after some sterling performances.
Abigail Kwarteng
She is a Ghanaian High Jumper. Her exploits started when she was at her high school at Agogo in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. She led her school to the High School regional championships for 3 years in a row and earned Most Valuable Player honours in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014.
When the All-Africa Youth Games was being held in 2014, she participated on behalf of Ghana. When she was admitted to the Western Texas College, her talents came shining through as she continued to apply herself in the sport and garner laurels. Currently, she holds the record as Ghana’s highest jumper (1.87m). Her accolades include winning at the All-American outdoor high jump in 2019.
Ghana has got great potential for sports development for itself and the diaspora. By making all necessary changes like change in policy direction, and conscientiously adhering to rules and regulations governing all sports disciplines, as well as the funding from both government and international organizations to support infrastructure, sportsmen and sportswomen in their various disciplines, Ghana can attain higher heights in the Olympics and even beyond that.
If you enjoyed this article, take a look to these other important and influential Ghanaian personalities
At Green Views Residential we celebrate the achievements of such amazing athletes from Ghana, and we acknowledge the sacrifices these men and women have made for their country.
As leaders in the real estate sector, we take pride in showcasing the results of a job well done. Pay us a visit and come see for yourself the quality and comfort of our luxury apartments in Accra!
