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Kofi Kingston Presents WWE Title To Asantehene at Manhyia Palace
Kumasi / June 2, 2019
The Akwasidae Festival is an important day for the Ashanti people. Celebrated on a Sunday every six weeks, Chiefdoms from across the Ashanti Region travel to Manhyia Palace. This is the day that the current ruler of the Ashanti Kington, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, sits on the throne in the courtyard of the palace to meet the thousands who have travelled from across the country and the world, to pay homage to him. At this festival, the king holds his durbar and it’s only during this festival when so many people are given permission to shake hands with him.
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This festival coincided with Kofi Kingston’s visit to Kumasi, his place of birth. The WWE Champion had not travelled back to Ghana since 1993 when he was in the seventh grade. He said that this was the perfect time to come to Ghana during the “Year of Return” when he could connect with his roots and also encourage others in the diaspora to do the same.
The festival was a magnificent display of music, traditional dance and singing. Kingston was led to Manhyia Palace by the chief of his maternal hometown, Atwima Techiman. Atwimahene Nana Antwi Agyei Brembong II, introduced the WWE Champion to Asantehene and the durbar to the resounding sounds of cheers from the chiefs and the crowd.
What an honour it was for him to meet the current ruler of the Kingdom of Ashanti. It’s a privilege many Ghanaians have yet to experience. Kingston showed his respect for the 16th Asantehene, by presenting him with a gift. It was a replica of his championship WWE Belt, which Otumfuo graciously accepted. His attendance at the festival wraps up his 4-day visit to Ghana. After all his experiences, it’s likely he won’t wait another 26 years to visit Ghana.
Written by Ivy Prosper
Kofi Kingston Comes Home
Kofi Kingston
Ghana is gearing up to give a warm reception to the current World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) Champion, Kofi “Kingston”. He has not been to his homeland of Ghana in 26 years. His arrival this week is going to be bittersweet. Especially with this year being declared, ‘Year of Return” welcoming all those of African descent to Ghana.
Kingston, who was born, Kofi Sarkodie-Mensah, will be on a four-day visit from Thursday 30th May 2019 to Sunday 2nd June 2019. He will be travelling with a film crew documenting his journey as a world champion, who returns home to his humble beginnings. His visit will include a trip to Manhyia Palace in Kumasi where he will pay homage to the current Asante King, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II. Kingston’s visit will also include a meeting with President Nana Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
His journey through Ghana will also take him through some key tourist sites including the Christianborg Castle (Osu), Bonwire and Ntonso and Lake Bosomtwe. He’ll also make a visit to the Mother and Baby Unit at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital.
Of course, like most Ghanaians, a visit to your family hometown is in order. Kingston will pay a visit to his paternal hometown Ejisu and to Atwima Techiman, his maternal hometown. His family members must be so proud and anticipating seeing him after all these years away. He certainly has made them proud of becoming the first African to ever win the WWE Championship title.
Expect to see him making the rounds on the media circuit in Ghana. Everyone is excited to see him and welcome him home to Ghana.
For the first time in History and African won the WWE Championship, and he’s from Ghana
The World Wrestling Entertainment Champion, Kofi “Kington” Sarkodie-Mensah comes home to Ghana for the first time in 26 years.
Media Partnerships
CitiTV and Graphic meetings
Since President Nana Akufo-Addo declared 2019 as the ‘Year of Return’ welcoming all those of African descent to make their birthright journey home to Ghana, there’s been a significant amount of positive response from those living in the diaspora. Just search the hashtag #yearofreturn and you’ll find so many images ope people who have made the trip to Ghana. Equally, there are several making plans to visit Ghana and celebrate the year of return. Travellers making the journey visit historical sites, attend events and gain a sense of reconnection with their ancestral roots.
Ask anyone in the diaspora about ‘year of return’ and most have heard about the commemoration of 400 years since the first documented slaves arrived in Jamestown, Virginia. But ask a local Ghanaian if they know what ‘year of the return’ is about and you’re often left with blank stares and a lack of knowledge about the entire year. With the few who are aware, something it’s a single climax event that is yet to come or that they already missed out on.
Speaking to a young man in Labone, who wished to remain nameless, he was asked if he knows about Year of Return. “No I’ve not heard about that,” he said. I explained to him that Year of Return When explaining what it is, he said he thought it was a good thing because by all means “the people who come back will feel like they are home.” He went on to say that he attended the TINA Fest but had no idea it was part of this year of return.
Forming strategic partnerships with local media will be key to getting local Ghanaians engaged in Year of Return Events.
Year of Return: WWE World Champion Kofi Kingston to visit Ghana after 26yrs
Reigning World Wrestling Entertainment Champion, Kofi Kingston has in a Facebook and Instagram post said he will be visiting home after 26 years. In a post that suggests he has heard the call to action in the trending #YearofReturn hashtag ‘Brafie’ #brafie and responding by inviting others to the slogan #LetsGoGhana, Kofi is will be returning home for a 4-day visit beginning May 30 to June 2, 2019 to pay a courtesy call on the President, Nana Akufo Addo and the Asantehene, Otumfuor Osei Tutu II at the Manhyia Palace as well as visit many tourist attractions including Lake Bosomtwi, Christiansborg (Osu) Castle, Bonwire, Ejisu and Komfo Anokye. He will be accompanied by a WWE crew who are shooting a documentary on him as World Champion.
Read the story below as published by WWE.com on Friday, May 9, 2019.
Kofi Kingston is going home. And, of course, he’s got a little extra luggage to take with him this time around.
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The WWE Champion revealed Friday on Instagram that he is planning his first visit to his home country of Ghana, West Africa since 1993 — part of a celebratory “Year of Return” in the wake of winning his first World Championship. A WWE film crew will be documenting the four-day visit, which includes a children’s rally, visits to Kofi’s maternal and paternal hometowns, as well as a courtesy call on the Ghanaian president, H.E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, and a visit to Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the Asante Monarch.
Read the full press release below, and stay tuned to WWE’s digital channels for more on Kofi’s homecoming.
Journey to becoming World Champion
The New Day’s Kofi Kingston is powered by positivity, and he’s used it to catapult himself, Xavier Woods and Big E to new heights.
Since bursting on the WWE scene in 2007, Kingston has established himself as one of WWE’s premier high-flyers. That, paired with his upbeat attitude, made him a perennial favourite of the WWE Universe as he racked up Intercontinental, the United States and Tag Team Championships. Kingston also cemented his place in WWE history with a series of daredevil moments where he saved himself from elimination in several Royal Rumble Matches.
Above: Video of how Kofi Kingston won the title
When he joined forces with Big E and Xavier Woods to form The New Day, though, no one could have guessed that the trio of unicorn horn-wearing, Booty-O-chomping Superstars would achieve the feats that they have in WWE. In fact, the WWE Universe despised them at first but soon grew to love them.
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As a veteran member of the team, Kingston provides his wealth of knowledge to his younger compadres, and it has paid off. Not only has The New Day become one of the most popular factions in WWE history, but ya boys have held multiple Tag Team Championships between their stints on Raw and SmackDown LIVE, including the longest reign in WWE history – an astonishing 483 days.
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Kingston’s 11 years of hard work and dedication finally brought him to the dance at WrestleMania 35 where he challenged Daniel Bryan for the WWE Title. With the entire WWE Universe behind him, as well as his New Day brothers and the SmackDown locker room, Kofi beat Bryan to claim WWE’s ultimate prize. It just goes to show what the Power of Positivity can accomplish.
Kofi Kingston’s explains his unique Adinkra Tatoos
About Kofi Kingston
Kofi Nahaje Sarkodie-Mensah(born August 14, 1981) is a Ghanaian-American professional wrestler signed to WWE, under the ring name Kofi Kingston, where he performs on the Smack Down brand, and is the current WWE Champion in his first reign. He is the first African-born WWE Champion and is also a member of The New Day along with Big E and Xavier Woods.
After graduating from college, Sarkodie-Mensah decided to pursue a professional wrestling career. He began performing on the New England independent circuit as a Jamaican wrestler by the name of Kofi Nahaje Kingston. After signing a developmental deal with WWE in 2007, he shortened his ring name to “Kofi Kingston”. Kingston debuted in WWE in 2008 using the same Jamaican character as he did on the independent circuit. In late 2009, he stopped being billed from Jamaica and dropped the accent although he kept his ring name. He then started being billed from his home country of Ghana.
Kingston spent much of his first few years in WWE on the midcard singles scene, during which he became a four-time Intercontinental Champion and a three-time United States Champion. In 2014, Kingston formed The New Day with Big E and Xavier Woods. The trio went on to break the record for the longest Tag Team Championship reign in WWE history when they held the WWE (Raw) Tag Team Championship from August 2015 to December 2016 while defending the titles under the Freebird rule. In April 2019, Kingston defeated Daniel Bryan at WrestleMania 35 to win the WWE Championship, his first world title in WWE.
He is the first African-born world champion in WWE history as well as its 30th Triple Crown Champion and 20th overall Grand Slam Champion (13th under the current format). In addition, Kingston himself holds the singular record for most days spent as a Tag Team Champion within WWE and is also known for innovative ways of suspending his elimination from Royal Rumble and battle royal matches. With the exception of a few months spent as a heel (villainous character) in 2015 with The New Day, Kingston has been a babyface (heroic character) for almost the entirety of his WWE career.
About Year Of Return
The “Year of Return, Ghana 2019” is a major landmark marketing campaign targeting the African – American and Diaspora Market to mark 400 years of the first enslaved African arriving in Jamestown Virginia. The Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) under the Auspices of the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture is leading the project in collaboration with the Office of Diaspora Affairs at the Office of the President, the Panafest Foundation and the Adinkra Group of USA.
The Year of Return seeks to make Ghana the focus for millions of African descendants reacting to their marginalisation by tracing their ancestry and identity. By this, Ghana becomes the beacon for African people living on the continent and the diaspora.
The United States Congress recently passed an Act H.R. 1242 – 400 Years of African-American which is a historically significant milestone. Ghana’s unique position as the location for 75 per cent of the slave dungeons built on the west coast of Africa and the current President’s policy of making it a national priority to extend a hand of welcome back home to Africans in the diaspora cannot be overemphasised.
There are still numerous imposing European forts and castles harbouring harrowing reminders of an intense and complex history of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade in our land over centuries. This on its own has made Ghana the focus for millions of African descendants reacting to their marginalization by tracing their ancestry and identity.
However, even more, important is the recognition of Ghana as a beacon of hope for African people living on the continent and in the Diaspora. This status was earned not by coincidence but by conscious efforts to validate the struggles, strengths and linkages between African descendants on a Pan-African scale.