Chanelle Wangari hot-favourite for Most Promising Award at SOYA fete
Seven-year-old Chanelle Wangari of Makini hits from the seventh during a past tournament. PHOTO | FILE |
What you need to know:
- The SOYA Panel of judges kicked off the nomination exercise three weeks ago and the process has now hit fever pitch.
- Danielle Awori is the other swimmer in the race for the top award.
Seven-year-old Chanelle Wangari of Makini tops this year’s list of the Most Promising Award nominees ahead of the Sportsman of the Year (SOYA) Gala scheduled for January 16, 2015.
The SOYA Panel of judges kicked off the nomination exercise three weeks ago and the process has now hit fever pitch.
Wangari is the African junior 6-8 years golf champion after becoming the first non-handicapped Kenyan junior to win an international event.
She joins the country’s pool of young talent in the footsteps of her mentor and trailblazer Naomi Wafula.
Wangari has already qualified for the 2015 U.S Kids World Junior Championship in Pinehurst, USA, which has attracted over 150 girls, and the European Junior Tour Challenge in Scotland also set for next year.
ALL-CONQUERING
Locally, she has impressed in a number of events including the 2014 Kiambu Junior Open and Thika Junior Open where she won the 6–9yrs titles. She also won the The Standard Generation Next – Junior Open (9 –10yrs) among others.
Seven-year-old Chanelle Wangari of Makini poses with the African Junior title earlier this year. PHOTO | FILE |
Wangari is up against top swimmer in the girls’ 15-16 years, Emily Muteti. Muteti was impressive at the Africa Swimming Confederation (CANA) Zone three and four championship in Kampala, Uganda.
Leading Kenya, she topped the medal standing with 26 gold; 34 silver and 20 bronze awards. She won gold in the 15-16 years 50m butterfly and bronze medal in girl’s 15-16 years 200m freestyle.
Muteti also broke three national records (50m butterfly, 4x 50m Individual Medley and 100m butterfly's at the Kenya Secondary School Sports Association (KSSSA) swimming competition in Mombasa.
She was in the Kenya team to Africa Youth Olympics that qualified for the Youth Olympics in Nanjing. The young swimmer has also qualified for World Championships short-course scheduled for December 2014. She was shortlisted for Commonwealth but fell sick a few days before travelling.
Danielle Awori is the other swimmer in the race for the top award.
Four other youthful and talented athletes are also in the race for the title. They include Rosefline Chepngetich, Lilian Rengeeruk, Margaret Nyairela and Valentine Chepkemoi. Regengeeruk is the 3,000m national junior champion and 3000m world youth bronze medallist. She was fifth in junior Africa cross country in Uganda.
Chepkemoi won bronze medal at the Africa World Junior Championships. Chepng’etich is the 3000m-steeplechase national junior champion, world junior silver medallist over the same distance and Youth Olympics Games 2000m steeplechase winner.
Nyailera also starts favourite after winning the national 800m silver and going ahead to bag the world junior 800 title in a personal best of 2:00.49. She is also the 800m World Junior Championships winner (2:00.49PB).
