Omanyala, 'Buffa' and Kipchoge in race for Soya award
Africa 100m record holder Ferdinand Omanyala works out at Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani on January 19, 2022.
What you need to know:
- Korir finished third during the Olympic trials, but went on to hand Kenya its first victory at the Tokyo Olympic Games, winning the men's 800 metres in 1.45.06 on August 4 after finishing second in the semi-finals.
- Korir settled third at the Prefontaine Classic and second at the Lausanne legs of the Diamond League to reach the grand finale in Zurich on September 9 where he went on to lift the Diamond League over 800 metres. He won the race in 1.44.56 which was his second win after the 2018 conquest.
Sprinter Ferdinand Omanyala and rugby player Alvin 'Buffa' Otieno are among five athletes set to battle for the Sportsman of the Year accolade at the 2021 Sports Personality of the Year Awards (Soya).
The winner will be declared on Tuesday evening during the Soya Gala night due Tuesday at the Bukhungu Stadium, Kakamega.
This year's awards are sponsored by Kakamega County, Lotto Foundation, CPF Financial Services, National Social Security Fund (NSSF) and Safaricom.
The Africa 100m record holder and Kenya Sevens and KCB Rugby winger face two-time Olympic marathon champion Eliud Kipchoge, rally ace Carl Tundo and Tokyo Olympics 800m gold medallist Emmanuel Korir.
Omanyala made history at the Tokyo Olympics Games, becoming the first Kenyan to reach the semifinals in the men’s 100 metres.
He went ahead to equal his 100 metres national record with a time of 10.01 in the first round where he wound up third and eventually reached the semi-finals.
Omanyala would later settle for the third position in a new national record time of 10.00 on August 1 even though he failed to make the final.
He moved to Europe where he became the first Kenyan to run under 10 seconds when he won his 100 metres semi-final in a new national record time of 9.96 seconds at the international JOSCO Lauf Meeting on August 14 in Austria.
Omanyala later shaved off more micro-seconds’ winning the final in 9.86 seconds the same day, which was the fastest time run on Australian soil.
He then made his debut at the Diamond League in Brussels on September 3, making him the first Kenyan to compete in 100 metres in the event, finishing fourth in a time of 10.02.
Omanyala went on to break the 100 metres African record finishing second in 9.77 behind America’s Travon Bromel, who won in 9.76 during the Absa Kip Keino Classic.
This made him the second fastest man in the world this season behind Bromwell and the eighth fastest man in history.
He had earlier in the season set a new 100 metres national record when he won his semi-final race at MOC Grand Prix in 10.01 on March 3 in Nigeria to qualify for the Olympic Games before winning the final in 10.05.
He would confirm his Olympic qualification when winning the national trials at the Olympic trials in 10.02 on June 17.
MVP for Kenya
Otieno was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) at the 2021 Safari Sevens after his incredible performance enabled Shujaa to lift the title at home after defeating Germany 12-5.
He was also the MVP for Kenya at the Vancouver 7’s where Kenya reached the final for the first time since 206, though they lost 33-14 to South Africa to take silver and also guiding the team to clinching bronze at Edmonton 7’s.
He finished fourth overall in the top Tries chart in this season's World Series with 11 tries, tying with South African captain Siviwe Soyizwapi and two behind the top scorer South African Muller du Plessis.
Otieno has so far played 64 matches for Kenya, scoring 27 tries.
Tundo won both the Africa Rally Championships and Kenya National Rally Championships Series.
Tundo, who was navigated by Tim Jessop, won four events in the ASRF Series- the Equator Rally, the Rally of Tanzania, Rally of Zambia and Rwanda Mountain Gorilla Rally.
Tundo claimed victories in Equator Rally, Kajiado Rally and Thika Rally to count for his sixth KNRC Series title and was placed ninth in the WRC Safari Rally.
Kipchoge, the 2019 Sportsman of the Year winner, won the Enschede Marathon in 2.04.30 in the Netherlands on April 18, before going on to retain the Olympics marathon title at the 2020 Tokyo Summer Games in 2.08.38 on August 8.
Kipchoge became the only third person to win two Olympic titles in a marathon and cemented his place as one of the best, if not the best, marathoners of all time.
On September 9, Kipchoge launched the Eliud Kipchoge Foundation that prioritised childhood education and reforestation in part of Kenya.
Korir finished third during the Olympic trials, but went on to hand Kenya its first victory at the Tokyo Olympic Games, winning the men's 800 metres in 1.45.06 on August 4 after finishing second in the semi-finals.
Korir settled third at the Prefontaine Classic and second at the Lausanne legs of the Diamond League to reach the grand finale in Zurich on September 9 where he went on to lift the Diamond League over 800 metres. He won the race in 1.44.56 which was his second win after the 2018 conquest.
