Vincent Keter leads star-studded nominees shortlisted for SOYA Most Promising Boy category
A star studded shortlist for the 2021 Soya Awards Most Promising Boy category will battle it out for the gong during the annual gala dinner to be held in Kakamega County in mid January.
The five finalists are headlined by athletics star Emmanuel Wanyonyi who clinched the World Under-20 Championships in Nairobi, clocking a Championship Record time of 1:43.76 to win the 800m.
However, Wanyonyi will face stiff challenge from fellow athlete Heriston Wanyonyi who beat all the odds to win gold in the walk race, a first for Kenya in the event, setting a personal best time of 42 minutes and 10.84 seconds.
The 18-year-old Wanyonyi stunned pre-championship favourite India’s Amit Khatri to win the title after dominating the national trials in 45:47.5.
Also, in contention is another athletics star Vincent Keter who was victorious in the 1500m race, timing 3:37.24 to beat Ethiopia’s Wegene Addisu to second place.
The 19-year-old Keter ended his season on a high, winning the men’s 1,500m at the World Athletics Continental Tour Kip Keino Classic in 3:35.99.
Apart from athletics, Kenya Rugby Under-20 fly-half Andrew Matoka is also in the top five finalists after a successful campaign with the Chipu, displaying a man of the match performance to guide the team to retain the Barthes Cup in Nairobi.
Top scorer
The 20-year-old Kenya 15s Under-20 vice-captain was the top point scorer at the 2021 Barthes Cup after scoring three tries and three penalties as well as 5 conversions.
Due to his impressive performance, Matoka was named in all the national teams this season, featuring for the Kenya 7s, Kenya Simbas and Chipu as well as turning out for his local side Strathmore Leos to reach the semis.
A golfer Taimur Malik is also in the nominees list having had a blistering season, stunning professionals like Dismas Indiza, Greg Snow and CJ Wangai among others to win opening leg of the 2021/22 Safari Tour Golf Series at par 72 Sigona Golf Club in October.
The 17-year-old Muthaiga junior golfer was incidentally the only amateur to make the second-round cut after firing a course record round of seven under par 65 in the final round to catch up with home golfer Mohit Mediratta and Vet Lab Sports Club’s Edwin Mudanyi on four under par total of 284 which saw the three proceed to a play off.
Taimur also completed an impressive 54-hole total of two under par 214, to claim the 2021 Kenya Amateur Golf Championship (KAGC), formerly Goty at the Karen Challenge golf tournament.
Malik, who represented Kenya in the Magical Open, and featured for the Muthaiga and previously Windsor teams during the Tannahill Shield, got off well, firing two rounds of two under par 70 each to grab an early lead, and despite dropping two shots in the final round on day 2 for two over par 74, he still managed to beat Kenya Amateur Match Play Champion John Lejirmah of Kenya Railway Golf Club by two shots.
The 2021 Soya Awards whose theme is dubbed “from Resilience to Recovery”, is boosted by Kakamega County, Lotto Foundation, CPF Financial Services, NSSF and Safaricom.
