KCB Rugby Football Club head coach Curtis Olago will be hoping to break the duck in the upcoming Safaricom Sports personality of the Year Awards (SOYA) after making the shortlist for the umpteenth time.
This year’s awards are sponsored Safaricom alongside the County Government of Mombasa, Kenya Pipeline, Communication Authority of Kenya, New KCC, Lapfund, Kenya Power, UBA Bank, Nairobi Bottlers, Kenya Ports Authority, NHIF, NSSF, Kenya Tourism Board and Gotv. The gala will be returning to Mombasa County for the second year running on January 24.
Olago who has featured in the nominees list in the previous editions but is yet to claim the award, will square it out with Malkia Strikers’ tactician Paul Bitok, Harambee, Starlets coach David Ouma, Carey Odhiambo of the Morans Basketball team and Vihiga Queens’ Alex Alumira.
The former player made the cut after guiding KCB RFC to defend their Kenya Cup for a third year in a row, beating Kabras 23-15 in the final. Olago also led the Bankers to retain the prestigious Impala Floodlit tournament for the third successive year where his side saw off Oilers 23-14 in final. Olago’s fairy tale season did just not stop there as he went ahead and won the National Sevens Series circuit with zest and vigour.
Bitok, on the other hand, made it to the list after defending the coveted All Africa Games title after downing Cameroon 3-1. En-route to the final, Bitok, who was handed the job on interim basis, ensured Malkia Strikers - a blend of troupers and greenhorns- did not lose a single match.
After the African Games, Bitok also led Malkia Strikers to the World Cup in Japan. Given the level of competition at World Cup stage, Bitok also savoured the fact that his team didn’t end up as the tail-end-Charlie.He once again led his team to beat Cameroon at the World Cup which meant that Malkia Strikers left the tournament having at least won one match. Harambee Starlets head coach, David Ouma, was shortlisted for the first time guiding the national women’s soccer team to winning the regional Cecafa Women’s Senior Challenge Cup.
The team silenced hosts and rivals Tanzania 2-0 in the final. Ouma, also made a statement as far as the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games Qualifiers are concerned, reaching the penultimate round where the Kenyan girls fell to the She Polopolo of Zambia
Also, in the coaches’ shortlist is Carey Odhiambo who rose from obscurity to guide the national men’s basketball team (the Morans) to an unprecedented silver medal in the Afro-Can championship in Bamako, Mali.
Also making the final list is little known Alex Alumira who was at the steering wheel when Vihiga Queens completed a hat-trick of titles, winning the FKF Women’s Premier League for the third time in a row to stamp their authority in the league.
