Athletics Kenya, KMSF among federations nominated for SOYA honours

Kenya Sports Federation of the Deaf (KSFD) and Kenya Tong-Il Moo-Do Federation will battle Athletics Kenya and Kenya Motor Sports Federation for the Sports Federation of the year accolades at the 2019 Safaricom Sports Personality of the year Awards (Soya).

The winner will be declared and rewarded alongside others during the  Gala planned for January 24 in Mombasa County.

KSFD have been able to launch new deaf sports disciplines like rugby,tennis, badminton and cycling which have attracted very active sportsmen and women. KSFD also managed to send a team to the World Deaf Swimming Championships in Brazil in August 2019 and successfully hosted the First Africa Deaf Athletics Championships with 12 African countries taking part. Kenya topped the competition with 54 medals (20 gold, 16 silver and 18 bronze medals).

Tong-Il Moo-Do sent representatives to the World Masterships Martial Arts championship 2019. The team bagged nine medals; two gold, two silver and five bronze. Among the gold medalists were Gordon Ochieng  in men over 90kgs and Lona Apiyo Abiero in women under 65kgs. Rose Wacheke claimed silver in women over 65kgs with Collins Ndunda Muriungi, Samson Mambo Garama and Andrew Wanje Ziro winning silver in team event.

The federation has also been able to acquire modern training facilities that have greatly enhanced development of the athletes to international standards. Tong-IL Moo-Do Kenya currently has the best martial arts sparring equipment, which are helping the sport develop countrywide.

KMSF successfully pushed for the return of the iconic Safari Rally back to the World Rally Championships Series in 2020. The federation successfully hosted the Candidate Rally this year that sealed the return to the WRC Series.

Athletics Kenya organised and took teams to the World Cross Country Championships  held on March 30 in Denmark, Africa Under-20 and Under-18 Championships held April 16-20 in Abidjan, Cote D’Ivoire and African  Games held from August 19-30 in Rabat , Morocco.

The country claimed eight medals; two gold three silver and three  bronze, finishing second behind Ethiopia at the World Cross where Hellen Obiri and Beatrice Chebet claimed victories in senior women 10km and Junior women 6km races respectively.

The country topped the medal standings in the Under-20 event with 26 medals; 12 gold, nine silver and five bronze but finished second behind South Africa in the Under-18 competition with 18 medals; five gold, seven silver and six bronze.

At the African Games, Kenya won 20 medals; 10 gold, seven silver and three bronze to finish second in athletics behind Nigeria, who had 10 gold, seven silver and six bronze medals at the African Games held August 26-30.

Athletics was the largest contributor of medals forKenya’s seventh overall position at the Games.

Among the highlights was Titus Ekiru won the country its maiden Half Marathon title at the Games in a Record time of 1:01:42. Kenya collected 11 medals; five gold, two silver and four bronze medals at the World Championships. That saw the country once again finish second in the overall medal standings behind United States of America who had 29 medals; 14 gold, 11 silver and four bronze.

In some of the highlights, Ruth Chepng’etich and Beatrice Chepkoech reclaimed the women’s marathon and 3,000m steeplechase titles respectively for Kenya as Hellen Obiri retained women’s 5,000m crown.

Timothy Cheruiyot and Conseslus Kipruto ensured that the men’s 1,500m and 3,000m steeplechase titles respectively stayed in Kenya.