Soya Awards – Sports Africa

Eliud Kipchoge is Kenya’s best sportsman of 2019

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Olympic and London Marathon champion Eliud Kipchoge was crowned the best sportsman of 2019 as Kenya feted her greatest performers of the year on Friday night.

Kipchoge, the reigning world marathon champion, beat a host of other contestants for the throne that included Timothy Cheruiyot and Geoffrey Kamworor who came second and third respectively in the men’s Sports Personality of the Year category from where the overall winner is picked.

It wasn’t to be World women’s marathon record holder Brigid Kosgei night as she was beaten in the woman’s category by Hellen Obiri.

The night also belonged to volleyball team that scooped four awards.

The national women’s side, Malkia Strikers, was named the women’s Team of the Year with Kwanthanze Secondary School head coach Justine Kigwari winning the Schools coach of the Year Award as his team (Kwanthanze) grabbed the Girls School Team of the Year.

Paul Bitok who won the Olympics ticket as well as the All African Games title with Malkia Strikers won the coach of the Year.

KCB won the men’s title ahead of Kenya Morans (the natioal men’s basketball team that recently qualified for the second round of the FIBA Afro Basket qualifiers) and Bandari FC who play in the Kenyan Premier League coming third.

Seventeen-year-old Harambee Starlets forward Jentrix Shikangwa who was the top scorer at the Cecafa Senior Women with 10 goals,was named the Most promising Sports Person- girls’ category.

Samuel Mushai and Caroline Nyagah won the sports persons living with disability men and women categories respectively while the Kenya Special Olympics beat all the other federations for the Sports Federation of the Year gong.

Full list of winners

Overall winner: Eliud Kipchoge

Sports Man of the Year 2019

1. Eliud Kipchoge- Athletics WINNER

2. Timothy Cheruiyot – Athletics

3. Geoffrey Kamworor – Athletics

Sports woman of the Year

1. Helen Obiri- Athletics

2. Brigid Kosgei- Marathon

3. Ruth Chepngetich- Marathon

Coach of the year: Paul Bitok-(Volleyball Malkia Strikers)

Men Sports Team of The Year

1. KCB Rugby

2. Morans

3.Bandari FC

Sports team of the Year -Women

1. Malkia Strikers – Volleyball

2. Kenya Lionesses- Rugby

3. Harambee Starlets- Football

Sportsman living with disability

1. Samuel Mushai -Athletics

2. Onesmus Mutinda-Athletics (Special Olympics)

3. Vincent Mutai- Athletics

Sports woman living with disability

1. Catherine Nyagah- Athletics (special Olympics)

2. Ruth Jemurgor-Shotput

3. Nancy Chelagat- Athletics

Sports Federation of the Year: Kenya Special Olympics

Most promising personality -Boys

1. Geoffrey Okwatch – Rugby

2. Dominic Ndigiti-Athletics

3. Daniel Sakari- Football

Most promising personality -Girls

1. Jentrix Shikangwa- Football

2. Belinda Wanjiru -Golf

3. Faith Jepkemboi- Long jump

Outstanding School player: Stephen Ndegwa- Swimming

Outstanding Schools player- Girls : Mariah Bianchi -Swimming

School coach of the year

Justin Kigwari- Volleyball Kwanthanze

Boys’ team of the year- Boys

1. Kakamega High -Rugby

2.Upper Hill-Rugby

3. Friend School-Kamusinga- Hockey

School Team of the year- Girls

1. Kwanthanze – Volleyball

2. Moi Girls Kamusinga -Handball

3. St Cecelia Misikhu-hockey

Community Hero 2019: Johanna Omollo (Harambee Stars midfielder)

2019 Soya awards red carpet gala: Who will be crowned Kenya’s top sports personalities?

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All eyes will be on Michael Olunga as the Kenyan sporting family awaits to see whether football will finally end athletics dominance at the annual Safaricom Sports Personality of the Year Awards (Soya) gala that is set to go down Friday evening at the Mombasa Sports Club.

No sportsman or woman from outside athletics has won the overall Soya title, the highest category of recognition since the introduction of the class in 2011 and only two athletes from outside athletics — swimmer Jason Dunford (2007) and sevens superstar Collin Injera (2009) have won the Sportsman of the Year Award.

The overall award is picked from the Sportsman and Woman of the year categories.

It is also noteworthy to point that two Paralympians have won the Sportsman of the Year category twice since the inception of the awards, a brainchild of former World marathon record holder, Paul Terga.

Visually impaired athlete Henry Wanyoike won the inaugural edition in 2004 with the Deaflympian Samuel Mushai clinching the title the 2008. But before then the Overall title had not been introduced yet until three years later.

The question on the lips of many is whether football will join the rare ‘elite club’ of winners and finally end athletics dominance at the event themed “A Night Under the Stars, with the Stars”, to be held at the coastal city for the second year in a row.

No footballer has ever won the Sportsman of the Year Award but the focus will be on Harambee Stars striker Olunga, who faces a horde of athletics heavyweights including World 1,500m champion Timothy Cheruiyot, Olympics and World Champion Conseslus Kipruto, World Half Marathon record holder Geoffrey Kamworor and World Marathon record holder Eliud Kipchoge.

Olunga became the first Kenyan to score a brace at the Africa Cup of Nations as he spurred Kenya to a 3-2 victory against Tanzania in the group stage in Egypt in June last year.

At club level, Olunga who plays for Kashiwa Reysol in Japan helped the side gain promotion to the Japanese Premier League.

But he faces among others Kipchoge who started the year with victory in London Marathon in a course record time 2:02:37. Then in October where he became the first human to run the marathon in under two hours when he clocked 1:59:40 in Ineos 1:59 Challenge in Vienna, Austria.

Another contender for the highest sporting award in Kenya is Kipruto who battled to retain his world 3,000m Steeplechase title and Kamworor who shaved 17 seconds off the World Half Marathon record at the Copenhagen Half Marathon, winning the race in 58:01 in September.

Kamworor had in March won bronze at the World Cross Country Championships besides claiming his second New York City Marathon in November.

Meanwhile, Vincent Mutai who won an unprecedented three gold medals at the International Para Athletics Championships last year, and the 2018 Sports Personality of the Year Samuel Mushai are among the nominees for the Sportsman Living with a Disability Award.

An equal battle is expected in the women category where only long-distance runner Vivian Cheruiyot has managed to win the overall title twice in 2011 and 2016.

Musclewoman Evelyne Okinyi Owala is eyeing to upset formbooks as she flexes against three world champions and a World Marathon record holder from athletics for Sports Woman of the Year.

Owala has her fingers crossed after making the final five alongside World champions Hellen Obiri (5,000m), Ruth Chepng’etich (marathon) and Beatrice Chepkoech (3,000m steeplechase).

There is also the World Marathon record holder Brigid Kosgei, who is also the London and Chicago Marathon champion.

Owala entered her name in the annals of history when she won the 2019 African title in the Wellness Division held in Angola. She also clinched the Arnold Classic during the International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness (IFBB) Championships in South Africa.

Owala finished third in the 2019 IFBB World Cup after finishing 10th at the Arnold Classic event in Europe. She qualified for elite pro league where she will compete this year, making history as the first Kenyan female.

Chepng’etich opened Kenya’s medal account at the 2019 World Championships in Doha with victory in women’s marathon besides posting 2:17:08 to win Dubai Marathon by the third fastest time in history by then.

Brigid, 25, won the London Marathon to set the stage for her exploits at Chicago Marathon where she broke the women’s world record that stood for 16 years, clocking 2:14:04 to erase Paula Radcliffe’s record by 1 minute 24 seconds.

Obiri won the World Cross Country title in Aarhus, Denmark before retaining her World 5000m title in Doha, setting a new Championship Record time of 14:26.72. She had finished fourth in 10,000m race.

Chepkoech won her first ever world title in 3,000m steeplechase in Doha and also retained her Diamond League trophy title.

Multi-talented Asiya Sururu who is set for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in rowing, and World Para Athletics bronze medallist Nancy Chelagat highlight the Sportswoman Living with a Disability category.

Former Nigerian Afcon winner and ex- Africa Player of the Year Victor Ikpeba will be the chief guest.

Ex-Africa Player of the Year Victor Ikpeba to be chief guest at Soya gala

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Africa Cup of Nations winner with Nigeria and former Africa Player of the Year Victor Ikpeba will be the chief guest at the 2019 Safaricom Sports Personality of the Year (Soya) Gala set for Mombasa Sports Club on January 24.

The ex-Super Eagles forward, who was crowned Africa’s Player of the Year in 1997, is expected in Nairobi on Tuesday.

He will hold a series of clinics Mombasa with the local football clubs before attending the Gala on Friday.

This will be the third time that Ikpeba will be in Kenya. His first trip to the East African nation was with the Super Eagles at the FIFA World Cup qualifying match against Harambee Stars, immediately after winning the 1996 Olympics gold medal in Atlanta, Georgia.

The match trip did not end well for Ikpeba and the rest of Super Eagles squad after they were held to a 1-1 draw in Nairobi.

“They (Harambee Stars) frustrated us,” the 1994 Afcon winner with Nigeria said in reference to the match at the Kasarani, Nairobi.

His second trip was in 2012 for an Olympic promo, but he hopes to have more time to see the beauty of the country and “mingle with some of the world beaters.”

Kenya is home to some of the best Athletes in the world and the event is expected to bring top start from the country, including the reigning world marathon record holder-Eliud Kipchoge and former World marathon record holder Paul Tergat who is the founder of the annual ward.

Ikpeba, who featured at the 1994 and 1998 FIFA World Cup tournaments with Nigeria, has had stints with French Ligue 1 side AS Monaco, Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund and Spanish La Liga side Real Betis.

He also played in the Middle East before he hanged his boots.

Starlets coach David Ouma elated after making Soya shortlist

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Harambee Starlets coach David Ouma is delighted after he was shortlisted for Coach of the Year Award in the Safaricom Sports Personality of the Year (SOYA) Awards.

The youthful coach helped Starlets win their maiden Cecafa Women Challenge Cup this year in Tanzania.

He also helped the team to the third round of the Olympics Qualifiers where they were eliminated by She-polopolo of Zambia but after they haddumped the experienced Ghanian side out of the competition.

“In all honesty, it has not been an easy ride and this nomination serves as a great motivational booster for my team,” Ouma told Federation’s official portal.

“I am delighted that the Harambee Starlets have been recognized out of our performance last year. Our players are also attracting international attention, which shows that we are experiencing positive growth.”

The former Sofapaka coach did not fail to appreciate the Football Kenya Federation for their efforts to ensure the women’s team takes part in the competitions.

“I would like to commend the Football Kenya Federation for its efforts to give us an opportunity to play in the Awcon and Olympic qualifier matches. I also urge the government to create an enabling environment for us to achieve what we have set out to.

“This team has great potential and with proper support, we are capable of getting onto the world stage,” Ouma concluded.

Starlets will be aiming to make it to Awcon at the end of the year.

Michael Olunga, Eliud Kipchoge to battle for Soya top award

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Harambee Stars striker Michael Olunga is among five male personalities shortlisted for the 2019 Safaricom Sportsman of the Year Award ahead of the gala night to be hosted in Mombasa County on January 24.

Olunga became the first Kenyan to score a brace at the African Cup of Nations as he helped Kenya beat Tanzania 3-2 in a group stage clash in Egypt in June 2019.

The lanky striker was also the first Kenyan to find the back of the net in the Spanish La Liga.

In 2019, Olunga scored three goals in seven matches for Harambee Stars.

At club level, Olunga who plies his trade for Japanese team Kashiwa Reysol scored a total of 29 goals and provided nine assists in 33 appearances in all competitions with 27 goals being in the League while two in the domestic cup.

In August this year, Olunga was crowned the player of the month after scoring his first hat-trick for Kashiwa Reysol against Renofa Yamaguchi as they hammered Renofa Yamaguchi 4-1.

Olunga will face stiff opposition from the likes of top athletes like world champion Timothy Cheruiyot, Olympics and world champion Conseslus Kipruto, World Half Marathon record holder Geoffrey Kamworor as well as World Marathon record holder Eliud Kipchoge.

Kipchoge hit world headlines when he became the first man in the planet to break the two-hour barrier in a men’s marathon.

Kipchoge also started off the year by winning London Marathon for a record fourth time in a time of 2:02:37.

In October he became the first man to run the marathon in under two hours when he timed 1:59:40 in a specially arranged race in Vienna.

As for Cheruiyot, he savoured an impressive 2019 both locally and in Diamond League meetings winning 10 out of 11 races and that included the ultimate race in Doha where he raced to a first-ever gold medal at the IAAF World Championships. He also won the Diamond League trophy.

Another star making the list is a steeplechaser Conseslus Kipruito who is remembered for his ‘magical’ dash in Doha following a troubled 2019 season where he had never won any race before the World Championships owing to a nagging ankle injury that saw him pull out of several races including dropping out of the race after four laps at the Africa Games in Morocco.

He also dropped out after only three laps at the World Championships trials at Nyayo Stadium.

Kipruto, however, donned Team Kenya livery in Doha ostensibly to safeguard Kenya’s longstanding 3000m steeplechase tradition at the global meet when it seemed that the country’s dominance was over. He won gold by the thickness of the vest.

The final nominee is Kamwaror, who hopes to outwit the other four nominees. In November, the 26-year-old took the men’s race at the New York Marathon clocking 2:08:13 and winning the prestigious event for the second time in three years.

In September, Kamworor took 17 seconds off the World Record at the Copenhagen Half Marathon winning the IAAF Gold Label road race in 58:01.

He had returned to the Danish capital, the scene of his first of three World Half-Marathon titles, in a bid to improve on the World Record of 58:18 set in Valencia last year by Abraham Kiptum.

Outside of his appearances at the World Half Marathon Championships, it was Kamworor’s first 13.1-mile race since November 2014.

Bodybuilder Evelyn Owala faces top track stars in race for Soya women’s prize

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For the first time in the history of Safaricom Sports Personality of the Year Awards (SOYA), a bodybuilder will be competing shoulders against world-beating long and middle-distance runners for the coveted prize.

Bodybuilder Evelyn Okinyi Owala has her fingers crossed after making the shortlist of five in the Sportswoman of the Year category along with 5000m speedster Helen Obiri, marathoners Ruth Chepng’etich and Brigid Kosgei as well as 3000m steeplechase world record holder Beatrice Chepkoech.

Owala entered her name in the annals of sports history by emerging the 2019 African champion in the Wellness division as well as the Arnold Classic, winning both titles during the International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness (IFBB) championships held in Angola and South Africa respectively.

Owala, who was competing as an amateur, also finished third in the 2019 IFBB World Cup amateur competition over and above finishing 10th at the Arnold Classic event in Europe.

She is one of the top exponents in her category worldwide to qualify for the elite pro-league where she will compete this year, thus becoming the first Kenyan female to do so and the third in Africa.

However, it will not be a walk in the park for Owala taking into consideration the indefatigable world-beating women athletes.

One of them is no doubt the 25-year-old Chepng’etich who incidentally opened Kenya’s medal account at the 2019 IAAF World Championships in Doha as she raced to gold in extremely punishing Middle East conditions which saw many runners drop out of the race.

Chepng’etich headed to the world championships with a world-leading time, something that stood until Brigid Kosgei broke the world record at the Chicago Marathon in October.

Before Brigid broke the world record, Chepngetich’s time of 2:17:08 which she clocked while winning the Dubai Marathon in January was the third all-time best behind Paula Radcliffe and Mary Keitany.

Apart from winning the Dubai Marathon, she also won the Bogota Half Marathon in Colombia in July and Seiryu Half marathon in Japan in April.

On her part, Brigid, 25, started the year in style as she raced to victory at the London Marathon, beating a strong field that included Olympic champion, Vivian Cheruiyot.

In Chicago, which was the epitome of her running this season, she obliterated the women’s world record that stood for 16 years, clocking 2:14:04 to shave off legendary Paula Radcliffe’s record by 1 minute 24 seconds as she defended the Chicago Marathon.

For Helen Obiri, she was in devastating form having replicated the performance that she displayed in 2018.

Obiri started the season with a bang, winning the elusive World Cross Country title in Aarhus, Denmark and also helped Kenya to bag silver in the team competition.

The 2016 Olympic silver medalist closed the season with a gold medal after retaining her 5000m at the 2019 IAAF World Championships in Doha, setting a new championship record time of 14:26.72 to lead compatriot Margaret Chelimo to the podium dash.

Also in the contention is Chepkoech, 29, who on top of winning her first-ever world title in Doha, she reigned supreme on the Diamond League front, clinching the overall title.

The winner of this category will be known during the 2019 SOYA Awards slated for January 24 in Mombasa.

Soya awards: Will Morans continental exploits bag them team of year gong?

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National men’s basketball team Morans will be hoping their exploits last year will earn them Team of the Year award during the Safaricom Sports Personality of the Year (Soya) gala set to be held in Mombasa on January 24.

Morans, who reached the final of the inaugural FIBA AfroCan tournament in Bamako, Mali, will, however, face stiff competition from other men teams that also did extremely well in 2019.

Enroute to the final which they lost 61-82 to the Democratic Republic of Congo, Morans had beaten some of the top sides in the group stages.

Among some of the outstanding results they registered include beating Nigeria 81-69 in the group stages, beating Ivory Coast 85-83 in the round of 16 before beating another top side Tunisia 85-83 in the quarter-finals.

Before going to Mali for the tournament, Morans had made history by beating Egypt in the Zone 5 tournament where they finished top to secure the ticket to play at the FIBA AfroCan tournament.

Apart from the Morans, Kenyan Premier League (KPL) champions Gor Mahia are also in contention for the top team award alongside rivals Bandari.

K’Ogalo successfully defended the KPL title with three matches to go to win back-to-back titles and a record 18th with 75 points when the league ended in May before the new season started in August.

They also became the first Kenyan team to reach the CAF Confederation Cup quarter-finals stage after finishing second in Group D with nine points jointly with Zamalek who had a better goal difference.

Apart from the league title, Gor Mahia also won the KPL Super Cup after beating Shield winners Bandari 1-0 in the 2019/20 KPL pre-season opener.

They, however, surrendered the SportPesa Cup to Kariobangi Sharks after being bundled out in the quarter-finals by Tanzania’s Mbao FC 4-3 on post-match penalties and also bowed out in the quarter-finals at the Cecafa Club Championship after losing 2-1 in the quarter-finals to Zambia’s Green Eagles.

Bandari who reclaimed the FKF Shield after beating Kariobangi Sharks in the finals and reached the play-off round in the CAF Confederation Cup for the first time ever will be hoping to beat Gor Mahia and Morans to the title.

The Mombasa-based side also reached the final of the SportPesa Cup, losing 1-0 to Kariobangi Sharks in the finals.

Other teams that have also been nominated include the KCB rugby team and the beach tennis team.

KCB RFC who were close to winning the team of the year last year will be hoping it will be second time lucky for them this year.

Apart from successfully defending the Kenya Cup crown for the third year in a row, where they lost only once, the Curtis Olago-coached side also retained the Floodlit tournament for the third year in a row. They also won the National Sevens Series Circuit.

The beach team won bronze at the African Beach Games and was also the first team to qualify for African Beach Games apart from being the first male beach tennis team in Kenya.

Malkia Strikers, Starlets and Lionesses to battle for Soya gong

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Kenya’s national women’s volleyball team, Malkia Strikers, are among the five finalists who will be battling for the top prize during the Safaricom Sports Personality of the Year (SOYA) gala to be held in Mombasa on January 24.

The African volleyball queens will battle for the bragging rights to be named the 2019 Team of the Year in the women’s category alongside Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) basketball team and national women football team, the Harambee Starlets.

Women Premier League champions Vihiga Queens and national women sevens team, Lionesses, are also in contention for the award.

Malkia Strikers were nominated for the award after successfully defending the African Games title in Morocco by beating rivals Cameroon in the final to win the gold medal in September.

They went into the final with a mission to beat the central African country who had beaten them at the Africa Cup of Nations tournament which was played in Egypt in July.

Malkia were forced to settle for second place at the Africa Cup of Nations despite having gone through the group stages unbeaten.

After the African Games in Morocco, Malkia Strikers went to the World Cup in Japan where they faced stiff competition from other established teams.

However, they still came back home from the global event having won one match as they once again beat rivals Cameroon.

On their art, KPA emerged second in the just concluded Zone V championship losing to JKL from Uganda.

Meanwhile, Kenya Lionesses once again showed why they are a force to reckon with as they qualified for Olympics for the second time. Lionesses also played at the 2016 Olympics Games in Rio.

At the Hong Kong Sevens, the Felix Oloo-coached side reached the cup semis after losing 17-5 to eventual winners Brazil.

Meanwhile, Harambee Starlets will hope that their exploits at the Cecafa where they won the Challenge Cup will give them an advantage over the other four teams.

Apart from winning the regional tournament with an unbeaten record, Starlets also did not concede a single goal and also produced the top striker in the tournament in Jentrix Shikangwa.

Starlets also reached the penultimate round of the 2020 Olympics Qualifiers, but they eventually lost to Zambia in a two-legged tie.

The other football team who will be hoping to bag the gong for football teams are Vihiga Queens.

The girls had a good outing in the Women Premier League,as they won the title by losing only one match and also drawing only once.

Stars midfielder Omolo among nominees for SOYA community hero award

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Harambee Stars midfielder Johanna Omollo will fight for the Sports Personality of the Year (SOYA), Community Hero Award, alongside three other candidates, including Brigid Kosgei’s coach Erick Kimaiyo at the 2019 Gala set to be staged in Mombasa on January 24, 2020.

Other candidates for the award, a preserve for those who change lives at the grassroots are national cricket team player Peter Ongondo and coach Bernard Makumi, who works mainly as a volunteer in helping the mentally challenged athletes.

Omollo, who is based in Belgium, has been nominated because of the selfless work he does through the Johanna Omollo Foundation in Dandora where he began his football career.

The foundation which was established in 2017 has been supporting children through scholarships, mentorship and entrepreneurship programmes.

The foundation also provides sanitary pads to teenage girls among many other initiatives meant to uplift the livelihoods of the youth in the informal settlement.

Over 80 children have received school fees and other supplies while 200 girls benefit from sanitary pads every month.

The Harambee Stars player is also a member of Common Goal, a charitable organisation that draws willing professional footballers
and coaches to donate one per cent of their wages to non-governmental organisations working in football.

This year Omollo was named the winner of the FIFPro Merit Award for his outstanding community work in Dandora.

Omollo will face stiff competition from other worthy opponents to win the Soya award.

Kimaiyo, who is also the coach of world marathon record holder Brigid Kosgei, was nominated for the good work he has been doing at his Kapsait camp.

He is credited with giving life to the former FILA athletics camp by pumping in his own finances to help restart the Kapsait Training Camp.

He also runs a school, Kapsait Athletics Secondary School, which he mainly uses to tap talent.

Kimaiyo admits talented athletes who are allowed to study at the school at subsidized rates while those who can’t afford to pay school fees are allowed to study for free and pay the money later once they start making a living from athletics.

World under-20 champion Edward Zakayo is one of those athletes who are studying at the school.

Apart from Brigid, other athletes who have gone through Kimaiyo’s camp are Elizabeth Romukal, Leah Kibet a semi-finalist at the IAAF World under-18 championships, East Africa Secondary School Games 5,000m champion Catherine Relin, Joseph Muigai, and Reuben Longosiwa among others.

On his part Ongondo, a former assistant cricket coach has found a way of integrating the less privileged members of the deaf society into the sport.

He first started working with Pangani Special School before approaching Ngala School of the Deaf in Nakuru where he tried to teach cricket.

They held their first mini cricket for the deaf this year which he fund raised through Facebook with members of the Cricket Without
Boundaries also chipping in.

The deaf girls won two matches in the mini cricket held last month with two of them being given call-ups to the under-19 national team
trials.

Ongondo who works with two volunteers to help with translation solely caters for their allowances and sources for kits from the President of Malta Cricket Paul Bradley whom he approached when he took up this initiative.

Another nominee is Makumi who has used the power of sports to ensure athletes with intellectual disabilities access primary and secondary education. He has asked various secondary school head teachers to admit athletes with intellectual disabilities.

He also supports and mentors his players to undertake economic activities from the money they make from sports.

Coach Makumi runs his club as a unified club, meaning that he gives opportunities and nurtures talents for youth with and without
intellectual disabilities.

This has not only transformed the lives of the players but that of the community as well.

Because of his efforts County Government of Makueni has recognized persons with intellectual disabilities and now the mobilizes resources to support their sporting activities.

Walgwe brothers to battle for SOYA coach of the year award in schools category

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Two of Kenya’s top high school coaches, the Walgwe brothers — Thomas and Victor — both earned nominations for the coach of the year in the annual Sports Personality of the Year (SOYA) Awards, schools category.

The siblings have competed for most of their lives and will once again take their rivalry to Kenya’s grandest stage in sports; the biggest sporting gala in Kenya, scheduled for January 24 in Mombasa.

After hours of pacing up and down the touchline while shouting their voices hoarse, it’s now the tacticians’ moment to bask in glory.

They will trade their tracksuits for elegant tuxedo suits and rehearse their acceptance speeches, at least for the lucky one.

Thomas guided Upper Hill High rugby sevens side to their maiden national title, beating the then defending champions Laiser Hill before crowning their enviable season with the East Africa title in an unbeaten run.

On the other hand, Victor led Dagoretti High School rugby 15’s team to the Nairobi region title and finished second at the national and East Africa Games.

Dagoretti High School’s football coach Joseph Makokha who guided his team to a silver medal at the national games, is the second nominee from the school. The tactician also led his side to the semi-finals of the EA Games where he finished fourth overall.

Another nominee for the coveted award is Kwanthanze Girls’ volleyball tactician, Justin Kigwari, who guided his team to a double; winning both the national and regional titles. This was the team’s fifth East Africa Games trophy and third in succession.

Kakamega High School’s rugby 15’s coach Amos Wamanga also made the cut after guiding the side to reclaim the national title they had last won in 2017 (8th title).

Under his tutelage, Kakamega High also recaptured the East Africa Games 15’s title that they last won in 2016.

After being deployed to Mbooni Boys from St Luke’s Kimilili, handball coach Gerald Juma helped the team win silver medal at the national finals, which earned his side their maiden ticket to the EA Games.

Others in the 20-man list are Kepha Nyaundi, who led St Joseph’s Kirandich to their maiden national title in girls’ handball.

Julius Otieno who helped Buruburu Girls’ basketball team end their 18-year trophy drought by winning the national title before finishing fourth at the East Africa Games, is also in the mix, and so is Cheptil Girls’ volleyball coach, Stephen Mutai.

Cheptil finished second at both national and regional championships.

Other nominees are Mogonga PAG’s volleyball tactician Nathan Kiptoo, Kelvin Lugalia of St. Anthony’s Boys Kitale (hockey); Peter Mayoyo (St. Anthony’s Boys Kitale football), Godfrey Muleyi of Friends School Kamusinga (hockey), Kaya Tiwi’s basketball and netball coach Philip Onyango and St. Luke’s Kimilili Boys handball coach Wekesa Wangwa.

Others are Edgar Manyara of Wiyeta Girls’ football team, Meru School’s hockey coach Enock Wangira, Rodgers Wekesa of Garissa’s Boystown Secondary (football), Chrispine Odindo of Nyakach Girls (football) and Moi Girls Kamusinga’s handball tactician Godfrey Simiyu .

List of the SOYA school coach of the year nominees

Thomas Walgwe (Upper Hill, rugby 7s)
Victor Walgwe (Dagoretti, rugby 15s)
Justin Kigwari (Kwanthanze, girls’ volleyball)
Joseph Makokha (Dagoretti High School, football)
Amos Wamanga (Kakamega High School, rugby 15)
Gerald Juma (Mbooni, boys’ handball)
Kepha Nyaundi (St. Joseph’s Kirandich, girls’ handball)
Julius Otieno (Buruburu Girls, basketball)
Stephen Mutai (Cheptil, girls’ volleyball)
Nathan Kiptoo (Mogonga PAG, boys’ volleyball)
Kelvin Lugalia (St. Anthony’s, boys’ hockey)
Peter Mayoyo (St. Anthony’s, boys’ football)
Godfrey Muleyi (Friends School Kamusinga, boys’ hockey)
Phillip Onyango (Kaya Tiwi, girls’ basketball and netball)
Wekesa Wangwa (St. Luke’s Kimilil, boys’ handball)
Edgar Manyara ( Wiyeta, girls’ football)
Enock Wangira (Meru School, boys’ hockey)
Rodgers Wekesa (Garissa Boystown, boys’ football)
Chrispine Odindo (Nyakach, girls’ football)
Godfrey Simiyu (Moi Girls Kamusinga, handball)

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