Track, golf, rugby juniors battle for title in Soya awards
Kenya's Heristone Wanyonyi celebrates after winning the men's 10,000m race walk during the World Athletics Under-20 Championships at Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani on August 21, 2021.
What you need to know:
- The winners will be known during the 2021 Soya Gala on due January 19 next year at the Bukhungu Stadium, Kakamega.
Athletics dominates the Most Promising Boy and Girl nominations for the 2021 Sports Personality of the Year Awards (Soya).
The winners will be known during the 2021 Soya Gala on due January 19 next year at the Bukhungu Stadium, Kakamega.
The 2021 Soya Awards, whose theme is “From Resilience to Recovery,” is sponsored by Kakamega County, Lotto Foundation, CPF Financial Services, National Social Security Fund (NSSF) and Safaricom.
Kenya Rugby Under-20 fly-half Andrew Matoka and the 17-year-old Muthaiga junior golfer Taimur Malik face three 2021 World Athletics Under-20 Championships gold medallists for the award.
They are Heriston Wanyonyi (race walk) and Emmanuel Wanyonyi (800m) and Vincent Keter (1,500) for the Boys' top award.
Tennis player Selline Ahoya and Vihiga Queens Football Club striker Violet Nanjala have been nominated for the girls' award that has also attracted three gold medallist from the World Athletics Under-20 Championships- Purity Chepkirui (1,500m), Teresia Muthoni Gatheri (3,000m) and Jackline Chepkoech (3,000m steeplechase).
Matoka, 20, was declared man-of-the-match when Chipu dismantled Zambia 45-8 and Madagascar 21-20 to retain the Barthes Cup in Nairobi.
Matoka was the top point scorer at the 2021 Barthes Cup after scoring three tries, five conversions and three penalties.
Due to his impressive performance, Matoka was named in Kenya Simbas and Kenya Sevens teams for the 2021 season besides turning out for his local side Strathmore Leos that finished third in Kenya Cup.
Malik, who is an amateur, stunned heavyweights professionals Dismas Indiza, Greg Snow and CJ Wangai among others to win the opening leg of the 2021/22 Safari Tour Golf Series at par 72 Sigona Golf Club in October.
The 17-year-old Muthaiga junior golfer was incidentally the only amateur to make the second-round cut after firing a course record round of seven under par 65 in the final round.
Taimur also completed an impressive 54-hole total of two under par 214, to claim the 2021 Kenya Amateur Golf Championship (KAGC), formerly Golfer of the Year (Goty) at the Karen.
Heriston made history as the first Kenyan to win a race walk at any global event when he claimed the World Under-20 victory in a personal best time of 42 minutes and 10.84 seconds.
Emmanuel won the men’s 800m title at the World Under-20 Championships in a Championship Record time of 1:43.76 while Keter won the 1,500m final in 3:37.24 before going for the men's 1,500m crown at the World Athletics Continental Tour Kip Keino Classic in 3:35.99.
Ahoya, a pupil at St. Bridget Catholic Primary School, is ranked first in Under-12 and was a finallist in the Under-14 category during the Confederation of African Tennis in June.
In September, she won the Under-12 category in Tennis Kenya Junior challenge and Under-12 category in the East Africa teams’ competition in Kampala.
Nanjala topped the FKF Women’s Premier League side with 21 goals and scored four goals in the inaugural 2021 CAF Women's Champions League Cecafa qualifiers.
Chepkirui recaptured the women’s 1,500m title for Kenya at the World Under-20 after nine years in 4:16.07, ending Ethiopia’s dominance.
Chepkirui also won the women's Under-20 race during the National Cross Country Championships in February.
Muthoni also handed Kenya the 3,000m title for the first time since 2012 in 13:20.37 as Chepkoech destroyed the field to uphold Kenya’s dominance in women’s 3,000m steeplechase, winning the race in personal best of 9:27.40.
