All set for Soya award gala
Ferdiand Omanyala (right) and Faith Chepng'etich pose for photos after winning the Sportsman and Sportswoman awards during the 2021 Soya Gala at Bukhungu Stadium, Kakamega on January 25, 2022.
What you need to know:
- The gala returns to Nairobi for the first time since 2018 with the event having traversed Mombasa twice, Naivasha and Kakamega
- Legendary sevens rugby player Collins Injera, who is fresh from being inducted in Fiji rugby Hall of Fame, will be the celebrity guest while Cabinet Secretary for Sports Ababu Namwamba is the chief guest
- Former winners-marathon world record holder Eliud Kipchoge, Commonwealth and Africa 100 metre champion Ferdinand Omanyala, and Olympic and World 1,500m champion Faith Chepn’getich are some of the front runners
The 19th edition of the Sports Personality of the Year Awards (Soya) gala goes down Friday evening (Friday) at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC), Nairobi.
The gala returns to Nairobi for the first time since 2018 with the event having traversed Mombasa twice, Naivasha and Kakamega.
Legendary sevens rugby player Collins Injera, who is fresh from being inducted in Fiji rugby Hall of Fame, will be the celebrity guest while Cabinet Secretary for Sports Ababu Namwamba is the chief guest.
Close battles are in the offing in Soya male and female categories that witnessed breathtaking performances from sportsmen and women across the board.
Former winners-marathon world record holder Eliud Kipchoge, Commonwealth and Africa 100 metre champion Ferdinand Omanyala, and Olympic and World 1,500m champion Faith Chepn’getich are some of the front runners.
Kipchoge, who broke his own marathon world record last year, setting a new time of two hours, one minute and nine seconds in Berlin, and Omanyala, who won the Commonwealth Games and two Africa titles in 100m and 4x100m, will take on three other athletes.
They are the Olympic and World 800m champion Emmanuel Korir, Africa boxing featherweight silver medallist Nick “Commander” Okoth and rally star Karan Patel.
Omanyala, who also won the men's 100m race at the Kip Keino Classic, was declared the winner for the first time in 2021 in Kakamega, while Kipchoge was the back-to-back winner in 2017, 2018 and 2019.
Chepng’etich will square it out with fast-rising tennis prodigy Angela Okutoyi, who was the first Kenyan to win a tennis grand slam, Commonwealth Games champions, Mary Moraa (800m) and Beatrice Chebet (5,000m) and golfer, Naomi Wafula.
Chepng’etich recaptured the world 1,500m title clocking three minutes and 52.96 seconds before going on to win the Monaco leg of the Diamond League in a national record time of 3:50.37, missing the world record by just three tenths of a second.
Chepng’etich would retain her Diamonds League Trophy, winning in Zurich in 4:00.44 and was once again nominated for the 2022 Women’s World Athlete of the Year Award.
Okutoyi made history as the first Kenyan to win a tennis Grand Slam following her girls’ double victory at Wimbledon tournament alongside Dutch partner Rose Marie Nijkamp in July.
Serah Wangari, Beryl Wamira and Linnet Fwamba will face off with para-lifter Hellen Wawira and last year’s winner of the Sportswoman Living with Disability, renowned paralympian, Nancy Chelangat.
Communication Authority of Kenya (CA), Kenya Pipeline Corporation (KPC), Lotto Foundation, National Social Security Fund (NSSF), Safaricom PLC and Kenya Academy of Sports (KAS) have sponsored this year's edition.
The Sportsman Living with a Disability category has Deaflympics Symon Kibai, who won in 2021, golfer Isaac Makokha, Ian Wambui, Lucas Wandia and wheelchair athlete Wesley Sang.
The Most Promising Boy category contenders are World Athletics Under-20 1,500m champion, Reynold Kipkorir, rally driver Karamveer Singh, golfer Andrew Wahome, weightlifter Joshua Amunga and judoka David Katana.
The Most Promising Girl category has basketballer Medina Okot, weightlifter Rachel Achieng, Commonwealth Games champion Jackline Chepkoech, 3,000m champion Betty Chelangat and World Under-20 3, 000m Steeplechase champion Faith Cherotich.
Dennis Mwanja of Kenya Lionesses (Rugby) will battle it out for the Coach of the Year award with Japheth Munala of KCB women’s volleyball, Para-lifter tactician, David Waore, Sammy Kiki of Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) men’s basketball and his KPA women’s team counterpart Anthony Ojukwu.
Africa Senior Athletics Championships 4x100m champions, handball side National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB), and rugby teams Menengai Oilers and Kabras Sugar are eyeing the men's Team of the Year award.
The women's team award will be contested by Kenya Lionesses 15s rugby side, Strathmore Scorpions hockey team, Nairobi Water handball team, Africa Senior Athletics 4x 400m silver medallists and KCB volleyball team.
