Paul Manoma

Paul Kwesi Manoma

Biographical Information

Paul Manoma was the star player for the Ghanaian national team in the 1999 All Africa Games.

Manoma was the third baseman and cleanup man for Ghana in the Games. He went 14 for 18 with two doubles, a triple, a homer, 3 steals in 4 tries and 12 RBI for a 1.167 slugging percentage and .778 average. He had Ghana's lone homer of the Games, taking Henry Odong of Uganda deep as part of a four-hit, four-RBI day. He also started that game on the mound and tossed three hitless innings, fanning two, but walking seven and allowing 3 runs (1 earned); Ishmael Abayaa relieved and got the credit for Ghana's first victory in a major tournament as they combined on a one-hitter. He also had five hits and four RBI in their other win, versus Zimbabwe. For the Games, he led Ghana in hits (6 ahead of Jimmy Davies), extra-base hits (one ahead of Joshua Amponsah), RBI (one ahead of Amponsah), average (.361 ahead of George Antwi) and slugging (.396 ahead of Amponsah) and was second to Julius Denyo in ERA (6.00 ahead of #3 Charles Andam). He played shortstop and catcher briefly in addition to his time at 3B and P. For the event, he tied Errol Davis for second in hits (two behind Carl Randall) and he tied Willem Kemp for second in average (behind Ian Holness; the other four players just listed were from powerhouse South Africa. Manoma had the best RBI of any player not on South Africa (four South Africans had more).

Manoma later was invited to train with two Nippon Pro Baseball teams, the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks (2000, along with Davies and Albert Frimpong) and Hiroshima Carp (2004, along with Amponsah), the first Ghanaian player to train with two NPB clubs. In 2004, he became the first African to have full-fledged coaching training in Japan. He also came to Japan in 2001 when he and Amponsah attended a tryout for the Anaheim Angels. Manoma later served on the executive board of the Ghana Baseball and Softball Association.

Sources

• 2005 article on Japanese influence on African baseball
• Brief history of baseball in Ghana
• Article on Manoma's tryout for the Angels
• Interview with Manoma
• 1999 All Africa Games