The acting Managing Director of SIC insurance, Mr Kwei Mensah Ashidam (in smock) and SWAG President, Kwabena Yeboah, in a warm handshake after signing the sponsorship agreement. Looking on are officials of SWAG and SIC Insurance

H.P. Nyemitei-SWAG Cup fixed for Nov. 29

Gifty Ashitey Sports News Nov - 02 - 2015 , 04:39 2 minutes read

This year’s H.P. Nyemitei-SWAG Cup will come off on Sunday, November 29 at the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi, following an agreement by SIC Insurance to sponsor the prestigious competition which was last played in 2009.

At a ceremony in Accra last Friday at which SIC Insurance Company and the Sports Writers Association of Ghana (SWAG) signed a sponsorship agreement covering the match, SWAG president, Mr Kwabena Yeboah, announced that November 29 had been fixed for the match to be played between two top sides in the Premier League. The details, he added, would be disclosed later during the official launch of the match.

At last Friday’s signing ceremony, acting Managing Director of SIC Insurance, Kwei Mensah Ashidam, said that his outfit was determined to revive the Nyemitei-SWAG Cup match to honour the late Henry Plange Nyemitei, as well as use the match as an opportunity to deepen its partnership with SWAG to help revive local football.

“As far as SIC Insurance is concerned, football is the food we eat, the water we drink and the bed we sleep on. It is our intention that the sport is developed to the highest order.

“We want to make sure the SWAG Cup comes off regularly just like in the years past, and we also want to enter other areas to promote the sport as a whole. We believe this will spark bigger things to come,” Mr Ashidam said.

The SWAG president, in response, said he was highly elated that after negotiations SIC Insurance agreed and made good on their pledge to ensure the return of the prestigious cup match to honour Mr Nyemitei.

“I’m very happy this marriage between SWAG and SIC Insurance has been renewed and it is our hope it will last into the future as we honour H.P. Nyemitei, one of our most venerable patrons,” Mr Yeboah.

The annual challenge cup match is played in honour of the late Nyemitei, a former patron of SWAG who was one time Deputy Managing Director of the then State Insurance Corporation (now SIC Insurance). Nicknamed ‘White Haired Philosopher’ during his heyday in football administration, the late Nyemitei succeeded the great Ohene Gyan as the second chairman of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) 1960 and 1966, and was also onetime chairman of Accra Hearts of Oak.

Over the last three decades SIC Insurance has remained the headline sponsor of the annual event which was last played in 2009 which saw Kpando Heart of Lions defeating Kumasi Asante Kotoko to win the trophy.