Students from the Department of Creative Arts at the University of Education, Winneba (UEW), have honoured Ghana Athletics president Bawah Fuseini with a hand-woven portrait created from pieces of denim fabric.

The artwork, titled “Threads of Excellence”, was presented to Mr Fuseini at the offices of Ghana Athletics by a delegation from the university.

The students said the portrait was created to recognise his leadership and contribution to the development of athletics in Ghana.

Leading the delegation, Mr Buxton Edward Baani from the Department of Arts Education said the artwork reflected the students’ creativity and appreciation of individuals who have made significant contributions to sports and education.

“We are here today to present an artwork in honour and recognition of the president of Ghana Athletics.

"The artwork here is a reflection of the students' dedication, creativity, and appreciation of individuals that have contributed significantly to sports and education.

"I must say what we have here is something that they have really poured their heart and soul into it as a way of showing how much you have done in terms of sports.

"On behalf of our VC (Prof. Stephen Jobson Mitchual) and the Dean of School of Creatures Arts (Dr. Cyril Senyo Kpodo). Together with the students, we would like to present this portrait to you as a symbol of our appreciation and respect to you.”

The portrait was created by students Eugene Ramifianu, Benedicta Arhin, and Wise Keteku.

In their citation accompanying the presentation, the students described the work as a celebration of Mr Fuseini’s leadership and contribution to Ghanaian athletics.

“The artists, Eugene Ramifianu, Benedicta Arhin, and Wise Keteku. This artwork celebrates the remarkable leadership of Bawah Fuseini and his lasting contribution to the growth of Ghana’s athletics through his dedication to developing athletes and promoting Ghana on the continental and global stage.

"He has inspired a culture of excellence and national pride. Created entirely from the...the portrait symbolises strength, endurance, and perseverance.

"Every patch represents an athlete story. Every stitch reflects sacrifice, and every layer marks a journey of growth. Though each piece is different, they unite to form one image just as Ghana’s athletes come together under one flag.

"Threads of Excellence is more than a portrait. It's a tribute to leadership, resilience, and the enduring spirit of Ghana’s athletics.”

Receiving the portrait, Mr Fuseini expressed gratitude for the recognition, describing the gesture by the university as deeply meaningful.

“I am extremely grateful for this honour. Being recognised in such a manner by a university means a lot has gone into it. I am not sure whether I am qualified for the adjectives used, but I am overwhelmed with pride, happiness, and joy. I will say God bless you.

"I am short for words, and I am honoured to have received such a portrait, a hand weaved portrait, not a digital one. It's a well thought out, and the product is exactly me.

"I can only express gratitude for what you've done, and I will continue to work more than what I have done. You have inspired me more than ever. This will forever be in my memory.”

Mr Fuseini said the recognition had further motivated him to contribute to the development of athletics.

*How the portrait was created*

One of the artists, Eugene Ramifianu, explained that the portrait was made from pieces of denim collected in different shades.

“We were able to gather jeans from different layers; we have the blue, white, deep, and the mellow ones too as well jeans and glue. With reference to this picture, when it comes to the artistic part, we are supposed to use three or four tones, so with each jeans tone, we used everyone to attach to each tone,so that was how the work came about.”

He said the students spent about a week completing the artwork.

“We used about a week to produce it. It could have been more than a week, but we needed to wrap it up soon. We were even blown away when we saw the outcome.”

Mr Ramifianu, who is also a student-athlete, said his passion for athletics influenced his decision to contribute to the project.

“I am a student athlete, so anytime I have an opportunity to do something, I put athletics first to help put it on the map. I want people to recognise athletics as one of the greatest sports in the world, so seeing Bawah's work out there has motivated me to do something for people to know more about Ghana’s athletics.”

The presentation brought together sport and creative arts, with the students using their craft to celebrate a figure they believe has played an important role in Ghana's athletics development.

The portrait now stands as a visual tribute to Mr Fuseini's leadership, and the athletes whose stories, sacrifices, and achievements continue to shape Ghanaian athletics.