It was another night to remember during the 19th edition of the Sports Personality of the Year Awards (Soya) gala Friday night at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC), Nairobi where 1,500metres queen Faith Chepng’etich warded off stiff competition to retain the Sportswoman of the year crown.
Marathon great Eliud Kipchoge reclaimed the Sportsman of the year he had lost to sprinter Ferdinand Omanyala last year.
Chepngetich, who won the 2021 title in Kakamega, recaptured the world 1,500m she had lost to Dutchwoman Sifan Hassan in 2019 by clocking three minutes and 52.96 seconds in Eugene on July 18.
She went 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. Her time was the second fastest time in history of the women’s 1,500m race after Genzebe Dibaba’s world record of 3:50.07 set in Monaco in 2015.
Chepng’etich also retained her Diamond League Trophy, winning in Zurich in 4:00.44 on September 8. Chepng’etich was once again nominated for the 2022 Women’s World Athlete of the Year Award.
“I hope 2023 will be another special year for me,” said Chepngetich after getting the accolade.
All winners pose with their awards during 2022 SOYA awards gala at KICC, Nairobi on January 20, 2023.
Photo credit: Sila Kiplagat | Nation Media Group
Soya Most Promising girl (2018) Okutoyi, who was represented by her grandmother Mary Ndonga, came second in that category after making history as the first Kenyan to win a tennis Grand Slam following her girls’ double victory at Wimbledon tournament in England partnering Rose Marie Nijkamp from Netherlands in July.
She also won the doubles in the J1 Repentigny in Canada alongside Polish partner Malwina Rowinska and also reached the second round at US Open singles. She competed in all the four Grand Slams, including at the Australian Open where she became the first Kenyan woman to win a match at a junior grand slam tournament.
Newly-graduated police officer Beatrice Chebet settled third despite her exploits last year. She won silver in the 5,000m race at the World Championships in Eugene before crowning it with gold at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and a Diamond League trophy.
Other nominees who made the top-five bracket are runner Mary Moraa and the 2011 Soya Most Promising golfer Naomi Wafula. Moraa bagged bronze in 800m at the World Championships in Oregon before striking gold at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in August. She also went ahead to add her maiden 800m Diamond League trophy after winning at the finals in Zurich. Moraa shattered the national 400mrecord two times last year; during the national trials for the World Athletics Championships in 50.84 in June and at Brussels Diamond League in 50.67 in September.
Wafula won five key events in the last one year, namely the Kenya Ladies Golf Union (KLGU) Open Meeting, Karen Ladies Open, Limuru Ladies Open, Eldoret Ladies Open and Vipingo Ladies Open.
Kipchoge, 38, broke his own marathon world record at Berlin Marathon, Germany in September last year. The 2018 and 2019 Sportsman of the year smashed his own world record of 2:01:39 by 30 seconds as he recaptured the Berlin Marathon title.
Kipchoge, who bagged the 2016 and 2020 Olympic marathon crowns, had on March 6 won the Tokyo Marathon in a course record time of 2:02:40, beating compatriot Amos Kipruto to second place in 2:03:13. Kipchoge finished top three in the men's 2022 World Athlete of the Year Award.
Africa and Commonwealth 100 metres champion Ferdinand Omanyala poses with the Sports Man of the Year runners-up trophy during the 2022 SOYA awards gala at KICC, Nairobi on January 20, 2023.
Photo credit: Sila Kiplagat | Nation Media Group
Omanyala, who won 2021 Soya, called the shots at last year’s Kip Keino Classic, winning the race in 9.85 seconds, stunning American Fred Kerley to second place in 9.92 sec. Kerley went on to win the world title in 9.86 on July 16 in Eugene where Omanyala, who was hit by travel hitches, reached the semis. The Africa 100m champion Omanyala anchored 4x100m “Team Imeta'' to a historic 4x100m victory at the African Senior Athletics Championships on June 10 at Cote d’or National Sports Complex, Mauritius.
Omanyala's team of Samuel Imeta, Dan Kiviasi and Dennis Otieno cruised home in 39.28. It was the first time Kenya won gold in 4x100m at the continental event. The team dethroned Akani Simbine’s South Africa, who settled for second place in 39.79, as Zimbabwe claimed bronze in 39.81.
Omanyala, who had just won the men's 100m title, anchored the 4x100m team of Imeta, Mike Mokamba and Hesborn Ochieng to second place in heat two in a National Record of 38.92 seconds to qualify for the final at Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. A mishap in baton handling saw them fail to finish their race in the final.
Emmanuel Korir finished third in the awards on Friday. The 2021 Soya runners-up won Kenya’s first of the two gold medals in Eugene, claiming his first world title, clocking his season's best of 1:43.71. His victory was instrumental to Kenya as he reclaimed the crown last won by World Record holder David Rudisha in 2015 in Beijing, China. The Olympic champion also retained his Diamond League Trophy after winning his race in Zurich in 1:43.26 on September 8.
This was the 19th edition of the awards which were founded by long distance great Paul Tergat. The theme for 2022 Soya awards was “Our Integrity; Our Pride; Our Sports”.
Tergat said: "We came up with the theme to fight the doping menace. We hope those who have been awarded will be our ambassadors to market Kenya globally. We hope to make 2023 bigger and better.”
Former World Rugby Sevens series top try scorer Collins Injera was the celebrity guest. Other dignitaries who attended included Webuye West MP Dan Wanyama and PS State Department for Wildlife Sylvia Museiya.
