The University for Development Studies (UDDS) continues to bask in national glory after winning the coveted SWAG Football Personality of the Year Award at the 50th Sports Writers Association of Ghana (SWAG) Awards, held on November 15, 2025, at the Accra International Conference Centre.

In a brief but symbolic ceremony on campus, the UDS football team officially presented the award to the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Seidu Al-hassan, in recognition of the university’s unwavering support that made their historic victory possible.

The award honours the team’s extraordinary achievement at the World University Football Championship in Dalian, China, where UDS made history as the first African university to win the global title, clinching victory in a tense extra-time showdown against Brazil’s University of Paulista.

Speaking at the presentation ceremony, the Director of Sports at UDS, Mr. Shaibu Tanko Ibrahim, expressed profound gratitude to university management for the consistent backing that propelled the team onto the world stage.

“This award belongs to UDS,” he said. “We are deeply grateful to management for believing in us, supporting us, and giving us the platform to showcase what our students can do. We dedicate this honour to the University because without your support, this success story would never have been written.”

He noted that the recognition at SWAG’s Golden Jubilee Awards, held under the theme “Honouring the Best to Inspire the Rest, is a testament to the rising power of university sports in Ghana’s development agenda.

Receiving the award, Vice-Chancellor Prof. Seidu Al-hassan could not hide his pride, describing the team’s accomplishment as a moment of personal and institutional triumph.

“You have made me proud personally and as Vice-Chancellor,” he said. “When I visited China recently as a panelist at the World University Presidents Forum, several people from across the world congratulated me for your victory. They told me UDS had been placed on the global map because of this achievement.”

He added that the team’s resilience, confidence, and discipline represent the true spirit of UDS and serve as an inspiration to the entire university community.

Prof. Al-hassan reaffirmed management’s commitment to strengthening sports development, noting that the team’s victory has opened new doors for international collaborations and raised UDS’ profile globally.

The SWAG recognition marks another milestone in UDS’ growing legacy in university sports, reinforcing its position not only as an academic powerhouse but also as a rising force in global collegiate athletics.

Story by Ibrahim Abubakari (UDS Media)