SportsKenya: SOYA Awards 2007

Wednesday 5 March 2008

SOYA Awards 2007

As we regain our normalcy in the sporting world, it won't have a better platform to have this year's Sports Personality of the Year Awards staged in Nairobi in a week's time ( March 12th).
This year has so far seen all major disciplines affected and more so athletics since a large percentage of our athletes come from the Rift Valley province. As I write Athletics Kenya had thought of relocating of the training camp for the forthcoming World Cross-Country Championships due to be held in Edinburgh on March 29th. This is telling of how dire the situation had become but much hope is restored as security improves in most parts of the country.
Back to the SOYA Awards, this year's has seen some interesting partnerships emerge with SuperSport ( Multi-Choice-Kenya) making a big impact and hoping to continue supporting sports in Kenya. This is crucial to the firm which has seen much of turf attacked by GTV and thus repositioning and more presence clearly ought to be of good than harm.
Last year's awards were held at the KICC where the then VP handed out most of the prizes and promised the Government's support in sports and its development. I think this needs to echoed even louder this year given the strife and tensions that arose in the last 2 months. We're desperately in need of positive vibes and common bonds which sports gladly offers.
Way to go FineTouch Communications for organising such a worthwhile event ! See you there at the KICC Plenary Hall.
Here are some of the Nominees for the Awards;
SOYA - Nominees - 2007
1. SPORTS TEAM OF THE YEAR - WOMEN
NAME SPORTS DISCIPLINE
Cheptil Girls High School Volleyball
World Junior Cross Country Athletics
Telkom Kenya Hockey
Prisons Volleyball Team Volleyball
KPA Basketball

2. SPORTS TEAM OF THE YEAR- MEN

NAME SPORTS DISCIPLINE
Sevens Rugby Rugby
National Volleyball Volleyball
A.M.U. Team Motorsport
Kcb Rugby Rugby
G.S.U Volleyball

3. SPORTSMAN OF THE YEAR
NAME SPORTS DISCIPLINE
Luke Kibet Athletics
Samuel Wanjiru Athletics
Jason Dunford Swimming
Martin Lel Athletics
Dixon Wamwiri Tae Kwondo

4. SPORTSWOMAN OF THE YEAR
NAME SPORTS DISCIPLINE
Catherine Ndereba Athletics
Milka Akinyi Tae Kwondo
Vivian Cheruiyot Athletics
Janeth Jepkosgei Athletics
Dorcas Ndasaba Volleyball

5. MOST PROMISING - MEN
NAME SPORTS DISCIPLINE
Gilbert Kibet Tennis
Asbel Kiprop Athletics
Alex Obanda Cricket
Mathew Kisorio Athletics
Frank Wanangwe Hockey

6. MOST PROMISING - WOMEN
NAME SPORTS DISCIPLINE
Ruth Bosibori Athletics
Mercy Kosgei Athletics
Lynette Masai Athletics
Nerica Kuguru Hockey
Mercy Moim Volleyball

7. HALL OF FAME
NAME SPORTS DISCIPLINE
Paul Wekesa Tennis
Robert Wangila Boxing
Steve Mucheru (Deceased) Golf
Wilson Kiprugut Chumo Athletics

8. SPECIAL CATEGORY (WOMEN)
NAME SPORTS DISCIPLINE

Betty Cheruiyot Athletics
Kanini Nduu Special Olympics
Zipporah Kiptogum Special Olympics
Mary Nakumicha Paraplegic

9 SPECIAL CATEGORY (MEN)
NAME SPORTS DISCIPLINE
Isaac Njoroge Special Olympics
Abraham Tarbei Visually Impaired
Henry Kiprono Kirwa Visually Impaired
Mbatha Kimanthi Special Olympics
Gabriel Ouma Ojaje Wheelchair

10. FEDERATIONS / ASSOCIATIONS
NAME SPORTS DISCIPLINE
Kenya Rugby Footbal Union Rugby
Kenya Motorsports Foundation Motorsports
Kenya Swimming Federation Swimming
Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association Multi-Discipline
Kenya Lawn Tennis Association Tennis

11 COMMUNITY HERO
NAME SPORTS DISCIPLINE
Tegla Loroupe Athletics
George Mureu Tae Kwondo
Godfrey Okotti Football
Chris Makokha Football
Musa Otieno Football

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Profile of a Kenyan Sports Personality

This is a look at a Kenyan personality who may have influenced and continues to affect sports in Kenya and inspires all and sundry in sports. It is our hope that you shall reflect on this, take a moment to appreciate the sacrifices and efforts these heroes made. We do take a bow and wave our hats as we cheer true Kenyan patriots in sport!

This one takes a different twist. Having seen individuals grace this column, we have sought to recognize a team of individuals who did some exemplary work and set what has been an unbeatable national and indeed continental effort.

Kenya has never been a major power in shorter races 400m downwards. Back in the late 1960s and early 1970s, this was a different script especially with the more exciting relay races. It is in 1968 when Kenya’s dominance came into play and with it a retinue of athletes who would become legends of their era.

The 4x400m races are usually the climax in the athletics calendar of events and in Mexico ’68, Kenya’s team including Charles Asati, Naftali Bon, Munyoro Nyamau and Daniel Rudisha ( the latter being the father to David Rudisha - current World and African champion in 800m) had other ideas coming 2^nd to USA.

In 1972, the 4 x 400m team was tweaked a bit and the final race was run by Charles Asati, Munyoro Nyamau, Robert Ouko and Julius Sang blazing the track to come up with the only other Gold medal from the Munich Games. But for this unprecedented move and none that has been done before by any other African nation, we salute our compatriots making them the Kenyan sprint legends!

Know your Sport

Swimming

Recently at some social setting we were engaged in a club quiz and one of the questions was about swimming. This sought to know which stroke was not among the competitive ones till 1956. One of our team-mates (we were 6 said that it was back-stroke while I argued it was butterfly, and the majority thought the former ….guess we should have stuck with my answer though!)

All the same, this sport has become one of the most competitive sports in any major sporting extravaganza in the form of the All-Africa Games, Commonwealth or indeed the Olympic Games. Kenya has lately featured in this very involving and energy-sapping sport. Thanks to the exploits of the Dunford brothers who have shone the spotlight on the country away from traditional sports in athletics, football, boxing and rugby. But what do you understand from the sport? Here’s a brief of it from different sources;

According to Wikipedia, swimming is based on the human act of swimming, that is, locomotion in water by self propulsion, with the goal of completing a given distance in the shortest amount of time. Swimming is distinguished from other aquatic sports (such as diving, synchronized swimming, and water polo) that involve swimming but the goal is neither speed nor endurance.

Competitive swimming consists of four strokes: butterfly, breaststroke, freestyle (or front crawl), and backstroke. When all four strokes are done during a race, it is called medley swimming (otherwise known as the individual medley, or I.M.). It is governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation Amateur (FINA).

The goal of competitive swimming is usually to have the fastest time to complete a given distance. Competitive swimming became popular in the nineteenth century. Swimming is an event at the Summer Olympic Games, where male and female athletes compete in 13 of the recognized events each. Olympic events are held in a 50 meter pool (long course).

There are 36 officially recognized individual swimming events – 18 male events and 18 female events; however the International Olympic Committee only recognizes 34 of them – 17 male and 17 female. Most swimming sport events are held in special competition swimming pools, which are either long course pools such as those used in the Olympic Games (50 m) or short course pools such as those used in the FINA World Swimming Championships (25 m) (25 yards or 25 m). Competition pools have starting blocks from which the competitor can dive in, and possibly also touch-sensitive pads to electronically record the swimming time of each competitor.

In most competitions, the competitors are required to wear swimwear/swimsuits to adequately cover their bodies for the dip. However some suits have created controversies which have seen FINA coming up with standards to adhere to ensure competitors do not have undue advantage over each other.

The sport can also be pursued for personal fitness and is considered by fitness enthusiasts as one of the few that does an all-round job body of keeping the body in shape. It also requires healthy diets and rehydration (yes even if your body’s dipped in water)! Famous names in the sport include Mark Spitz – 7-gold medals winner 1972 Olympics and Michael Phelps – 8 gold medals - Beijing 2008.
For more info, check www.fina.org

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Wednesday 5 March 2008

SOYA Awards 2007

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