Six coaches will battle it out for the Coach of the Year award at the 2022 Sports Personality of the Year Award (SOYA).
The gala returns to Nairobi after the hosting of four gala events in Mombasa County, Naivasha in Nakuru County and Kakamega County over the last four years.
On the coach of the year nomination list are: Kenya Lionesses rugby team coach Dennis Mwanja, Kenya Port Authority (KPA) men’s basketball team coach Sammy Kiki, KPA women’s basketball team coach Anthony Ojukwu, Menengai Oilers Rugby Club coach Gibson Weru, KCB women’s volleyball team coach Japheth Munala and para coach David Waore.
Mwanja led the Kenya Lionesses national women’s sevens team to the brink of qualifying for the 2022-2023 Women’s World Rugby Sevens Series, only to fall short.
The Lionesses claimed victories over China (17-15), South Africa (5-31), hosts Chile (5-15), thrashed Argentina 36-0 in the quarter-finals before losing to eventual winners Japan 22-15 and to China 31-5 in the battle for third place.
Kiki guided the KPA men’s basketball team to reclaim the national title after they blew away champions Ulinzi 80-61 in Game Five to take the final series 3-2.
Ulinzi won Game One 68-66 before the Dockers hit back 69-58 to level in Mombasa before Game Three, Four and Five moved to Nairobi. Dockers also won Game Three 71-50 to go 2-1 up before the Soldiers levelled the Series 2-2 with a 57-48 victory, forcing the final Game Five clash.
Ojukwu led the KPA women’s basketball team to a win the women’s basketball league title after seeing off rivals Equity Hawks 70-64 in game four to lift their 15th title.
Ojukwu also guided the team in qualifying for the 2022 FIBA Africa Champions Cup for Women in Maputo, Mozambique in December.
Experienced Munala led KCB volleyball team to victory at the Africa Clubs championships in Tunisia in June, 2022. Munala’s charges stunned record champions Al Ahly of Egypt 3-1 in the final to lift the trophy.
Munala is also part of the Malkia Strikers technical bench.
Waore handled para powerlifter Hellen Wawira at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, where she won a bronze medal in the women’s lightweight.
Wawira collected 98.5 points to lag behind Britons Zoe Newson and Olivia, who downed 102.2 and 100.0 points to claim gold and silver respectively.
It was Kenya’s only medal outside of athletics at the Commonwealth Games.
Waore also helped Wawira and Gabriel Magu win gold and silver respectively at the St. Louis World Para Powerlifting Championships in the USA.
Wawira attributes her success to coach Waore who has been working tirelessly with her since she got into para powerlifting alongside other persons living with disabilities at the Steel City gymnasium.
Gibson Weru led Menengai Oilers to the 2022 National Sevens Series title, the first ever title besides leading the team to a first Kenya Cup league final, where they lost 34-28 to Kabras Sugar.
