Bitok, Alumira make Soya shortlist

Kenya women’s volleyball team coach Paul Bitok and FKF Women’s Premier League champions Vihiga Queens tactician Alex Alumira are among the nominees for the Coach of the Year in the 2019 Safaricom Sports Personality of the Year Awards (Soya).

Bitok and Alumira will battle it out with Kenya Commercial Bank rugby coach Curtis Olago and Harambee Starlets tactician David Ouma.

Also battling for the award where the winner will be declared during the Soya Gala on January 24 in Mombasa is the national basketball team coach Carey Odhiambo.

Bitok led Malkia Strikers to successfully defend the African Games title, beating Cameroon in 3-1 sets in the final. En-route to the final, Bitok, ensured that Malkia Strikers did not lose a single match.

After the African Games, Bitok also led Malkia Strikers to the World Cup in Japan where they beat Cameroon but lost all the other 10 matches. Malkia Strikers left the tournament having only won one match.

Alumira guided Vihiga to the national league title with 73 points drawn from 22 wins, a draw and a loss. Vihiga Queens makes the bulk of the players in Harambee Starlets. This is a clear manifestation on the enormous talent at the grassroots and outside Nairobi.

Among the Vihiga Queens players that formed Harambee Starlets that won the Cecafa Women Challenge Cup in Tanzania are Jentrix Shikangwa, Topister Situma, Vivian Nasaka, Cynthia Shilwatso, Maureen Achieng and Enez Mango.

Olago will be hoping to break the duck after having been nominated several times. Olago guided KCB to defend the Kenya Cup for a third year in a row, beating Kabras 23-15 in the final.

Olago also led the bankers to retaining the Impala Floodlit tournament for the third successive year after beating Menengail Oilers 23-14 in final.

Ouma guided Starlets to their maiden Cecafa title after silencing hosts and rivals Tanzania 2-0.

Ouma’s team also reached the penultimate round of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games qualifiers, losing to She Polopolo of Zambia 3-2 on aggregate.

Odhiambo led Morans to a historic silver medal in the AfroCan Championship in Bamako, Mali.

This year’s awards have also been sponsored by the County Government of Mombasa, Kenya Pipeline, Communication Authority of Kenya, New KCC, Lapfund, Kenya Power, UBA Bank, Nairobi Bottlers, Kenya Ports Authority, NHIF, NSSF, Kenya Tourism Board and GOtv.

Coach of the Year Nominees

Carey Odhiambo – Morans Coach (Kenya men’s basketball team)

Paul Bitok – Malkia Strikers (Kenya women’s volleyball team)

Alex Alumira – Vihiga Queens (FKF Women’s Premier League team)

David Ouma – Harambee Starlets (Kenya women’s football team)

Curtis Olago – KCB RFC (Kenya Cup rugby team)