The Sports Writers Association of Ghana (SWAG) awarded a Special Prize to Oko-Nikoi Dzani during the 28th Annual SWAG Awards Night for his contribution to the development of hockey in Ghana. The Ceremony, held under the distinguished patronage of His Excellency, President John Agyekum Kuffour, took place in Accra on August 2nd 2003.
Oko-Nikoi Dzani has had a long association with the game of hockey that dates back to his early childhood days. Educated in Achimota School, a leading second cycle institution with a rich hockey tradition in Ghana, Oko-Nikoi Dzani was introduced to the game of hockey during his secondary school days.
Oko-Nikoi Dzani has and continues to play a lead role in the organization of hockey in Ghana and the continent of Africa. He was appointed as the Chairman of the Ghana Hockey Association in 1996, a position he has held to date. He was elected as a Council Member of the African Hockey Federation in 1999 and held that position till 2003. At the Congress of the African Hockey Federation in 2003, he was elected 2nd Vice President of the Federation and then appointed as the Chairman of the Sponsorship and Marketing Committee of the Federation.
As a hockey administrator, Oko-Nikoi Dzani has pursued objectives that seek to introduce, promote, organize and generally encourage the game of hockey for both men and women and for the youth. He has also pursued the establishment of an efficient administrative structure for hockey development in Ghana and the promotion of good relations and cooperation with international hockey bodies. The results are evident in his success with the Ghana Hockey Association, which he has managed for 7 consecutive years and the pivotal role he has played in the management of the African Hockey Federation in recent times.
As a successful entrepreneur in the finance business, Oko-Nikoi Dzani has raised funds through his network of friends and associates to support the rapid growth of the Ghana Hockey Association. His achievements with the Ghana Hockey are enormous but the most salient ones include the following:
- Soliciting financial and material support from the International Hockey Federation (FIH), the International Olympic Committee (IOC) the African Hockey Federation (AfHF) and a syndication of companies, individuals and organizations for the construction of the first artificial hockey turf in Ghana.
- Led the Ghana Hockey Association to successfully host the 14th Africa Cup for Club Champions Men Competition and the 6th Women’s Competition in Accra in 2002 and to win the AfHF Development Award for the year 2002.
- Led the Ghana Hockey Association to win an FIH Award in recognition of Youth Hockey development in 2002
Ghana Hockey salutes Mr. Dzani and congratulate SWAG for recognizing and rewarding the hard work of an individual who continues to contribute tirelessly to the fast development of Ghana hockey on the African Continent. It is the firm conviction of the hockey fraternity that the SWAG Award will assure potential sponsors and the young players that the game of hockey is both a recreational and competitive one that rewards excellence.
