Major sporting events to look out for in 2017
Vivian Cheruiyot celebrates after winning the final of the women's 5,000m race in the athletics event during the 2016 Summer Olympics at the Olympic Stadium in Rio de Janeiro on August 19, 2016. PHOTO | OLIVIER MORIN | AFP
What you need to know:
Kenyan fanatics and their cousins from around the world will be consistently entertained by one after the other sporting contest.
As always, Kenyan fanatics and their cousins from around the world will be consistently entertained by one after the other sporting contest.
Here are a select few;
English Premier League
- The 2016/2017 edition of this annual ten month competition will lapse in May.
The EPL is undoubtedly the most watched sporting event in Kenya, with the ongoing season living up to its billing. It will be interesting to find out which club between Arsenal, Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea and Tottenham will dethrone Leicester City as champions.
Kenyans and East Africans at large will also be keenly following the performances of both Kenyan duo Divork Origi and Victor Wanyama, alongside those of Stars such as Diego Costa, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Alexis Sanchez and Sergio Aguero.
Africa Cup of Nations - The biannual edition of this competition will be held in Gabon between January 14 and February 5. Again, the whole continent will be glued to their TV screens to watch the best African football stars in action. The Stars include Pierre Emerick Aubamayang, Dennis Onyango, Khama Billiat, Wilfred Bony and Serge Aurier.
Ivory Coast are the reigning champions, but will they be able to retain Africa's most lucrative competition at the expense of the likes of Ghana, Cameroon, Algeria and Egypt?
Kenyan Premier League - The rivalry between AFC Leopards and Gor Mahia not only eats up volumes of space within the media, but also highlights the local football calendar season. This will be no different come 2017, as local football fanatics are expected to follow the league in their thousands.
Watch out though, for the likes of Tusker, Ulinzi and Mathare United.
Safari Sevens - The International rugby tournament is hosted in Nairobi each September, with teams from all over the world taking part. This tournament is always eagerly anticipated, with thousands of fans - mostly in their youth - trooping to watch the matches. The event has also been transformed into a family outing with lots of off the pitch entertainment in tow.
World U-18 Athletics Championship - Kenya will welcome the athletics world in Nairobi come July, for the U18 Youth Athletics Championship set to be staged in Nairobi in July.
This competition will without doubt offer Kenyans a chance to see their young talents rule the world. Concerns have however been raised in the wake of high profile withdrawals from the likes of Great Britain.
IRB Sevens Series - Having won its maiden Cup competition in Singapore last year, the Shujaa, now under the tutelage of Innocent Simiyu will be all too keen to extend their dominance in this international competition which features among others Argentina, England, Fiji, South Africa, USA and Wales.
Africa Volleyball Club Championships - The men and women competitions will both be staged in Tunisia in March and April respectively. Expect Kenya Pipeline and Kenya Prisons to dominate in the women's competition, whilst Kenya Prisons and General Service Unit are - at best - expected to struggle on the men's front.
