Veteran Ghanaian football commentator and sports journalist, Joe Lartey has passed away on Friday, April 26, 2024, at the age of 96.
The sad news was reported by the Sports Writers Association of Ghana (SWAG) in a press release.
Joe Lartey was born on June 6, 1927, in Accra, Ghana’s capital city and attended Accra Academy. He is Popularly known as “Over to You,” during his professional career as an iconic broadcaster. Lartey began his journey in journalism at the Ghana Broadcasting Cooperation (GBC) in 1961 as a football commentator.
He served as the first president of SWAG among other roles.
He has won many awards during his career and was honoured with the prestigious “A Life in Sport” award by the International Sports Press Association (AIPS) at the AIPS Sport Media Awards ceremony held in Doha, Qatar, in June 2022.
Joe Lartey’s influence extended far beyond Ghana, as many Ghanaian football commentators credit him for shaping their careers.His legacy as a pioneer in sports broadcasting will be remembered fondly by fans and colleagues alike.