The chosen few: Wangari tops SOYA's Most Promising Award list

Chanelle Wangari, 7, follows her tee during the Thika Junior Golf Open Classic tournament at the weekend.[PHOTO:ERICK OCHIENG'/STANDARD]

Chanelle Wangari, 7, of Makini schools tops this year's Most Promising Award list of nominees ahead of the Safaricom Sports Personality of the Year Award (SOYA) Gala scheduled for January 16.

The SOYA Panel of judges kicked off the nomination exercise three weeks ago.

Wangari is the African junior 6-8 years champion after becoming the first non-handicapped Kenyan junior to win an international event.

She joins the country's pool of young talent, following in the footsteps of her mentor trailblazer Naomi Wafula.

She has already qualified for the 2015 US Kids World Junior Championship in Pinehurst, USA, which has attracted over 150 girls, and the European Junior Tour Challenge in Scotland also set for next year.

Locally, she has impressed in a number of events including the 2014 Kiambu Junior Open, where she won the 6 – 9yrs title and Thika Junior Open where she won in the same category.

She also won the The Standard Generation Next – Junior Open (9 – 10yrs) among others.
She is up against top swimmer in the girls' 15-16 years, Emmily Muteti.

She was impressive at the Africa Swimming Confederation (CANA) Zone three and four championship in Kampala, where she led Kenya to the top of the medal standing with 26 gold, 34 silver and 20 bronzes. She won gold in the 15-16 years 50m butterfly and bronze medal in girl's 15-16 years 200m freestyle.

 

BROKE THREE RECORDS

Muteti also broke three national records (50m butterfly, 4x 50m Individual Medley and 100m butterfly's at the Kenya Secondary School Sports Association swimming in Mombasa).
She was in the Kenya team to Africa Youth Olympics that qualified for the Youth Olympics in Nanjing. She has also qualified for World Championships short-course scheduled for December 2014.

She was shortlisted for Commonwealth but fell sick a few days before travelling. Dannielle Awori is the other swimmer in the running for the top SOYA award.

Four youthful and talented athletes are also in the race for the title. They include Rosefline Chepngetich, Lilian Rengeeruk, Margaret Nyairela and Valentine Chepkemoi. Regengeeruk is the 3,000m national junior champion and 3000m world youth bronze medallist. She was fifth in junior Africa cross country in Uganda.

Chepkemoi won bronze medal at the Africa World Junior Championships. Women Chepng'etich is the 3000m-steeplechase national junior champion, world junior silver medalist over the same distance and Youth Olympics Games 2000m steeplechase winner.

Nyailera also starts favourite after winning the national 800m silver and going ahead to bag the world junior 800 title in a personal best of 2:00.49.
Women 800m World Junior Championships winner (2:00.49PB).