It's all systems go ahead of Soya gala tomorrow

Olympic champions Beatrice Chebet,="https://www.tnx.africa/features/article/2001500356/from-barefoot-to-brilliant-the-inspiring-story-of-faith-kipyegon"> Faith Kipyegon Sports personalities will be rewarded in 11 categories, including Sportswoman of the Year, Sportsman of the Year, Sportswoman with Disability and a Sportsman with Disability in the 21st Soya event.

Other categories are Coach of the Year, Sports Team Women, Sports Team Men, Schools Girls Team, Schools Boys Team, Schools Coach of the Year and Hall of Fame.

Soya panel of judges’ chairman Chris Mbaisi said the panelists have worked hard to ensure they get deserving winners.

“The year 2024 was a busy for Kenyan sportsmen and women with the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games and the Junior Starlets qualification to the World Under-17 World Cup highlighting the season among the key events,” said Mbaisi.

Mbaisi said the theme for the 21st edition of ="https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/sports/sports/article/2001516240/safaricom-boosts-soya-gala-kitty-once-again">Soya Awards< will be “Celebrating Women Excellence in Sports” owing to the exemplary performances by women athletes in 2024,” said Mbaisi.

He reaffirmed Soya founder and legendary distance runner Paul Tergat’s commitment to make the event better by introducing other activities like the training of athletes in finance management, mental wellness and corporate social responsibility.

Double Paris Olympic Games champion Chebet, history-maker Kipyegon and women’s marathon world record holder Ruth Chepng’etich are in contention for the Sportswoman of the Year award.

On the other hand, Olympic 800m champion Wanyonyi, Africa light middleweight boxing champion Boniface Mugunde and Olympic 5,000m silver medallist Ronald Kwemoi are among those nominated for the men’s award. 

Paris Paralympics long jump silver medallist Samson Ojuka and World Ability Youth Games double gold medallist Michelle Chepng’etich are among those nominated for the Sportsman and woman with disability awards respectively.

Chebet successfully defended her World Cross Country Championships title on March 30, in Belgrade, Serbia, before breaking the 10,000m world record during the Prefontaine Classic leg of the Diamond League on May 25.

="https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/sports/amp/sports/article/2001516038/double-olympic-champ-chebet-in-contention-for-2024-soya-honours">Chebet made history< as the first woman to run under 29 minutes, winning in 28:54.14. In the process, she broke Ethiopian Letesenbet Gidey’s previous record of 29:01.03, set on June 8, 2021, in Hengelo.

Chebet went on to win the 5,000m and 10,000m titles at the Paris Olympic Games before wrapping up the season by breaking the 5km world record in December 2024 at the Cursa dels Nassos, where she clocked 13:54.

Kipyegon, 30, shattered her own 1,500m world record at the FBK Games, Hengelo, the Netherlands, on July 7 this year, winning in a blistering three minutes and 49.04 seconds. At the Paris Olympics, Kipyegon claimed silver in women’s 5,000m before retaining the 1,500m, ="https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/sports/athletics/article/2001498572/kipyegon-breaks-her-own-1500m-record-in-paris-diamond-league">breaking her Olympic record< with a time of 3:51.29. Kipyegon made history as the first woman to complete a successive hat-trick at the Summer Games.

Kipyegon claimed an unprecedented five Diamond League titles in the 1,500m, winning the final in Brussels, Belgium, in a meeting record time of 3:54.75 on September 14.

Wanyonyi ensured Kenya retained the Olympic 800m title for the fifth successive time, besides retaining his Diamond League 800m Trophy, Mogunde handed Kenya its first Africa boxing title since 2017, while Kwemoi claimed silver in 5,000m at the Paris Olympic Games.

Ojuka won Kenya’s only medal at the Paris Paralympics when he claimed silver in a jump of 6.20 metres.

The feat saw Ojuka shatter the previous African Record of 6.05m set by Andrea Dalle Ave from South Africa in 2015.