Brunlehner, Okutoyi land Soya nominations
What you need to know:
- This year’s Soya Gala will be held on January 11 at the iconic Fort Jesus, Mombasa.
- Okutoyi won the ITF under -18 tournament in Burundi which saw her join the ITF World Tour team.
- In the boys category, 5000m Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Edward Zakayo is the man to beat.
- Zakayo face judoka Carlos Ochieng, World Under-20 10,000m champion Rhonex Kipruto, Sofapaka's Piston Mutamba as well Youth Olympics 3,000m champion Jackson Kavesa.
Swimming sensation Maria Brunlehner and tennis rising star Angela Okutoyi headline girls category in the Most Promising 2018 Safaricom Sports Personality of the Year (Soya) Awards.
In the boys category, prodigy Edward Zakayo who grabbed 5000m Commonwealth Games bronze before following it up with victories over the same distance at World Under-20 and Africa Championships is the man to beat.
This year’s Soya Gala will be held on January 11 at the iconic Fort Jesus, Mombasa.
Brunlehner and Okutoyi have a battle at hand against World Under-20 5,000m champion Beatrice Chebet, Youth Olympics 1,500m champion Edinah Jebitok and Harambee Starlets forward Teresa Engesha among others.
Okutoyi won the ITF under -18 tournament in Burundi which saw her join the ITF World Tour team that embarked on a five-week tour of France, Germany, Belgium and Czech Republic earlier this year.
Straight from the tour, Okutoyi went on to win the ITF/CAT Africa under -14 championships title in Algiers in August, beating home favorite Algerian Bouchra Mebarki 4-6,6-0,6-1 to clinch the title. She would later stun top seeded Shufaa Changawa to lift this year’s Britam Kenya Open title at Nairobi Club.
She also made history as the first Kenya to reach the final of the Africa Cup on Nations in November in Botswana. She lost in straight sets to top seeded Bechri Chiraz from Tunisia 6-1,6-3 to settle for Silver.
Chebet won the World Under-20 title in Tampere, Finland with a personal best of 15:30.77, beating Ethiopian pair of Ejgayehu Taye (15:30.87 PB) and Girmawit Gebrzihair (15:34.01 PB).
Engesha, who had a three-month professional stint with Swedish Division 2 club Dalhem, helped FKF Women’s Premier League side Vihiga Queens successfully defend the league title. She turned out for Harambee Starlets in the Africa Women’s Cup of Nations (AWOCON) qualifiers, scoring in Kenya’s 2-1 first leg victory over Equatorial Guinea in Machakos.
Zakayo face a star-studded junior field that has judoka Carlos Ochieng, World Under-20 10,000m champion Rhonex Kipruto, Sofapaka and Harambee Stars forward Piston Mutamba as well Youth Olympics 3,000m champion Jackson Kavesa. He also won the Kenyan 5000m trials qualifying for Gold Coast Commonwealth where he won bronze in a race won by Uganda’s Joshua Cheptegei.
The 17-year-old claimed sweet revenge against Ethiopian Selemon Barega, snatching the World Under-20 title in 5,000m from the Ethiopian in Tampere, Finland.
The Form Two student at Kapsait High school went on to win the Africa 5000m title in Asaba, Nigeria, beating experienced Getaneh Molla from Ethiopia and Eritrean Yemane Haileselassie.
He also qualified for the World Cup also known as IAAF Continental Cup where he finished fifth.
Kavesa claimed bronze in 3,000m at the Africa Youth Championships and gold in 3,000m and Cross Country 4km race.
The awards are co-sponsored by Mombasa County, National Social Security Fund (NSSF), Communication Authority (CA), Kenya Pipeline, GOTv, LapFund, New KCC, Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) Kenya Power, Sports Station and Protel Studios.
