The hugely anticipated maiden edition of the Ghana Basketball Awards ceremony is set to dazzle a capacity audience on June 7 in Accra, organizers have confirmed. The historic event is expected to be a typically spectacular fashion, a night that will reach its highest point when the best players, coaches and officials will be rewarded for their excellence. Other major stakeholders including sponsors and the media will also be recognized for their significant contribution to the growth and popularity of the game in Ghana. The event, which will be heralded with glitz and glamour would be telecasted LIVE on TV Africa from 8pm. Awards are up for grabs in 17 categories, with more than 150 guests drawn from sporting fraternity, businesses, some members of the Diploma corps, government and media amongst others expected to fill the TV Africa auditorium. The response has been overwhelming for Friday’s big function which will see serious competition for honours in the various categories. It’s been almost twelve weeks of cursory planning, evaluation and selection by the planning and technical committee drawn from the media and the basketball community. The Chairman of the Greater Accra Basketball Association and a member of the committee, Benjamin Baafi, has expressed his optimism about Friday’s event describing it a long-awaited dream. Organizers of the event, Rite Multimedia, have promised an exciting night characterized with music and serious basketball matters. In an interview with the Chief Executive of Rite Multimedia, Yaw Sakyi Afari said so much had been done in the area of basketball over the past years that has necessitated this award ceremony. He called on corporate organizations to pay some attention to the sport. The 2013 Ghana Basketball Awards is a collaboration between the Ghana Basketball Association and Rite Multimedia and supported by Sprite. Some of the top categories include MVP, High School Player of the Year (boys and girls), Female Player of the Year, Most Promising Player of the Year, Coach of the Year, Team of the Year and Referee of the Year amongst others. Vera of D 3 fame and rising Ghanaian Afro-pop Predy X will perform on the night. Here are the full classified awards and nominees FINAL SHORTLIST OF NOMINEES FOR THE 2013 GHANA BASKETBALL AWARDS Award Categories Most Promising Player 1. Daniel Owusu (Mfanstipim Basic School Cape Coast) 2. Anthony Duodu (Kawanopado, Cape Coast) 3. Kwadwo Attafuah (AIS, Akosombo) High School Player of the Year (boys) 1. Julian Morgan (Mfantsipim, Cape Coast) 2. Emmanuel Wolf (KSTS, Koforidua) 3. Mawuli Dogbe (Ketasco, Keta) 4. Rudolf Retting Akrasi (Opoku Ware School, Kumasi) High School Player of the Year (girls) 1. Matilda Gordon (Aggrey Memorial, Cape Coast) 2. Ajata Iddrisu (Aggrey Memorial, Cape Coast) 3. Ama Serwa Mitchual (St Mary’s, Accra) Overall MVP of the year – National MVP 1. Baniba Dodzi (CEPS and Accra Polytechnic) 2. Cyril Clarke (Tema Youth and University of Ghana 3. Hashim Brimah (CEPS) 4. Emmanuel Dickson (Police and Accra Polytechnic) Female Player of the year 1. Promise Ofori (Prisons) 2. Mavis Martey (Police) 3. Rahinatu Suleiman (Police) Team of the year 1. CEPS 2. Ghana’s Under-18 team 3. Accra Polytechnic 4. Mfantsipim Referee of the year 1. Bamford Gasu Quarmyne 2. Samuel Baah 3. Anthony Anane Coach of the year 1. Brimah Lawah (CEPS, Accra Poly) 2. Emmanuel Quaye (Tema Youth) 3. Seth Okine (coach, Ghana U18 team) Fans can vote for their best player in the various categories; BB + Name to short code 1903 (on Airtel, Expresso and Vodafone) and 1909 on MTN.