NAIROBI, Kenya, Dec 5 – World Under 20 1500m champion Reynold Kipkorir and 3000m silver medalist Felix Kiptarus Korir are among seven youngsters who have been nominated for the 2022 Sportsperson of the Year Award (SOYA) Most Promising Award.
Kipkorir shot himself to worldwide fame in August when he ran an impressive 3:35.83 to win the World Under 20 title at the global showpiece in Cali, Colombia.
His compatriot, Korir, timed a personal best of 7:38.83 to finish second in the men’s 3000m. The 19-year-old’s afterward gesture of gifting a young Colombian fan his singlet went viral around the globe as many hailed the act.
Also nominated for the annual awards include motorsport youngster Karamveer Singh, 16-year-old golfer Andrew Wahome, judoki David Katana, weightlifter Joshua Amunga and boxer Joshua Clive.
The 11-year-old Singh is already turning heads in the motorsports world and is tipped to one day shoot to the top of the industry.
After clinching the runners-up position at last year’s edition of the Bambino category, Singh is on course for his maiden title having notched five straight wins so far.
At 16 years, Wahome is already brushing shoulders with the creme-de-la-creme of the golfing world.
He has already represented Kenya at the Victoria Cup where he was part of the team that beat Uganda to lift the trophy at Limuru Golf and Country Club.
Moreover, Wahome finished second at the prestigious Nick Faldo Series in Limuru and performed exceptionally well at the R&A qualifying event at Vet Lab to earn himself a ticket to the British Open.
Internationally, the youngster featured at the Zimbabwe Junior Open and the Big Five South Africa Open.
With the exit of Hit Squad captain Nick ‘Commander’ Okoth from the scene, 17-year-old Joshua Clive looks set to assume the reins in the lightweight division.
The national Novices and Intermediate lightweight champion caught the eye at the trials for the Africa Boxing Championships when he beat experienced pugilists to earn a shot at the ‘Commander’ to who he eventually lost.
On the other hand, Amunga is the national champion in the 61kg category.
His performance at the national championships announced his arrival as the next big thing when he outwitted experienced opponents such as Benjamin Osiemo to land the national title.
Kajiado North Club’s Katana is considered one of Kenya’s brightest sparks in judo and has earned admirers with his performance on the national front.
The awards ceremony will be held on January 20 next year at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre (KICC) for the first time after four years.
The awards are sponsored by a host of corporate and government bodies including Communication Authority, Kenya Pipeline, Lotto Foundation, NSSF and Safaricom.
