It was the Accra International Conference Centre. December 30, 2024, was the date. One man stood at the heart of the stage created to celebrate outstanding Ghanaians.

"National Honour Awards 2024," captured in block letters on a giant white banner, punctuated the background. "Honouring our distinguished citizens," it added.

Over 90 people earned recognition from the state for their various roles and contributions to the country. I don't know if it was purely under the administration of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, but assuming—without admitting—it was, one name, in the last eight years that sold Ghana to the world, missed out.

It was a travesty of justice—not just to her talent and achievements, but to what it means to rise above the skies and fly the flag of the country you were born in.

That name is ROSE AMOANIMAA YEBOAH.

In the fabric of Ghanaian athletics, Rose Yeboah’s story emerges as a golden thread, interweaving talent, resilience, and groundbreaking achievements.

Her consistent excellence on the international stage has redefined Ghanaian athletics. She has an unparalleled knack for dominating the high jump, eventually leaping her way into history, becoming the first Ghanaian woman to qualify for the Olympics in the discipline.

Her absence from the honourees was not only a disservice to her unparalleled achievements but also a symbolic failure to recognise what it truly means to carry the nation’s flag to the pinnacle of global sport.

Where the state faltered, the Sports Writers Association of Ghana (SWAG) cannot afford to repeat the same mistake.

As the 2024 SWAG Awards beckon, I dare say Rose deserves the accolade, Sports Personality of the Year. Yes, I am athletics-biased, but facts are not debatable.

From a promising talent to a record-breaking star, she has blazed a trail that few can match. At just 23 years old, this young girl from Kumasi has consistently excelled, winning gold after gold in every major international competition she has participated in since 2018.

Every leap, every record, and every gold medal has been a testament to her dedication, skill, and unparalleled talent.

The highlight is that unprecedented leap at the 2024 NCAA Division I Championships, which will forever be etched in Ghana's sporting history, when she cleared an astounding height of 1.97m—not only earning her a ticket to the Paris Olympics but also cementing her status as a trailblazer in Ghana’s high jump legacy.

With fewer than 15 strides, Yeboah raced towards the bar, her body angled with precision, and soared above it. The jubilant scream that followed her feat was echoed by a wave of applause from the spectators.

That moment was more than a personal triumph—it was a victory for a nation yearning for athletic excellence.

A ticket to Paris. First Ghanaian woman ever to be at this global festival. Read that again.

For many, the Olympics is the ultimate dream. For Rose, it was just the beginning. Her qualification for Paris 2024 as the first Ghanaian woman in history to compete in the high jump was a testament to her groundbreaking career.

“I aim to stand on the podium,” she told JoySports with quiet determination. And why shouldn’t she? Her track record proves she has the mettle to turn ambition into reality, but Ghana let her down.

When resources were needed to prepare her for the Olympics, those in charge rather chose to fly themselves to watch her jump instead of giving her the needed environment to succeed.

There were only six weeks between the time she jumped 1.97m and the Olympics, but due to terrible preparations, she could only clear the bar at 1.88m. Guess what? The bronze medal winner cleared the bar at 1.95m—less than the leap of Rose six weeks prior. She was Ghana’s hope of a medal, but there were no resources to help her realise the dream of making the podium.

For a student at the University of Cape Coast, without the best resources to nurture her talent, who won gold at the U-20 African Juniors Athletics Championships in Abidjan with a jump of 1.83m, setting the tone for what would so far be described as an enviable trajectory.

For a student, in the years that followed, who added to her collection of medals with victories at the All-Africa University Games in Egypt, the 2019 African Games in Rabat, the 2021 African Athletics Seniors Championships in Mauritius, and the 2022 FISU Games, where she set a new national record of 1.94m (first Ghanaian woman ever), and in 2024, when she once again showcased her dominance by winning gold at the African Games held in Accra and at the Confederation of African Athletics Seniors Championships in Douala, she's that gold Ghana doesn't know it has.

Remarkably, Yeboah has won six gold medals in major competitions since 2019, each triumph setting and breaking her own records.

While she's won the SWAG Female Athlete of the Year twice, in 2019 and 2023, this is her year for the ultimate crown.

The SWAG Sports Personality of the Year award is a celebration of excellence, consistency, and inspiration. While athletes like Joseph Paul Amoah and Cadman Evans Yamoah have achieved incredible feats—Joe Paul breaking a 48-year drought for Ghana in the Commonwealth Games 200m and anchoring relay teams to medals—none can match the sustained dominance and historic achievements of Rose Yeboah.

Rose’s career is not defined by isolated victories but by an unbroken chain of success that spans years. Her ability to win gold repeatedly, even under immense pressure, sets her apart. She has not only conquered the continental stage but has also proven her mettle on the global stage.

Across the globe, Rose was the best female high jumper among all university students worldwide. In the last four years, none of her colleagues have come close, either at the African Seniors Championships or African Games.

It is inconceivable that Rose’s achievements have gone unrecognised at the state level. Her omission from the National Honour Awards was a grave injustice—not only to her but to the ideals of national pride and excellence. Rose Yeboah has done what few athletes can—consistently elevating Ghana’s name on the international stage.

Her story is not just about medals but about perseverance, breaking barriers, and defying the odds. The failure to honour her sends a troubling message about how Ghana values its sports icons. But where the state has fallen short, I repeat, SWAG must rise to the occasion.

Dear SWAG, there is no athlete more deserving than Rose Amoanimaa Yeboah.

Her career has been a golden thread of consistency, her achievements a testament to her unparalleled excellence.

Even the Year under review that will be used as the metric for the awards, if qualifying for the Olympics is not enough, which I will disagree with, she has three gold medals.

Let us not repeat the mistakes of the past. Let us celebrate her now. For Rose Yeboah is more than just a high jumper—she is a national treasure and Ghana’s golden leap into history.

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