Last year was a year of darkness in football, hits and misses in hockey, issues of doping in athletics and a shaky show by the national teams in rugby.
The year was certainly a year to forget. Clouded by Covid-19 aftermath, endless financial challenges from club level to the national teams, Fifa ban as well as leadership wrangles in a number of federations, athletes will wish not to remember 2022.
However, Kenyans are optimistic for impressive performances ahead of this year's calendar of events.
This is backed up by the work the Ministry of Sports is currently doing under the leadership of Sports CS Ababu Namwamba who after only a few months in office seems to be heading in the right direction.
Namwamba, who replaced Amina Mohamed last November has already restored Kenya to international football after engaging Fifa to lift the suspension previously imposed as well as convincing Word Anti-Doping Agency and World Athletics not to ban the nation despite rising doping cases.
Well, the world of sports has much on its plate this year including the World Rugby World Cup, Fifa Women's World Cup, World Athletic Championships and World Cross Country Championships.
Locally, the FKF Premier League, KHU Premier League, KBF Premier League and Kenya Cup (rugby) will resume this week starting with football tomorrow as the rest pick up over the weekend.
Standard Sports looks at selected top sports events, which Kenyans will headline this year:
Hockey: Africa Clubs Championships
Kenya will host the 2023 Africa Cup for Clubs Championship after the Africa Hockey Federation gave the country the rights to host the event.
Top teams from the Kenya Hockey Union Premier League are expected to compete for the annual continental club event set for February 13-19 at the Kenton College in Kileleshwa.
The first two teams at the completion of the men's and women's Premier Leagues automatically tickets to the Africa Clubs championship.
Most Kenya clubs have in recent times failed to compete in the event hosted away citing financial challenges.
Wazalendo men's club was the last local side to feature in the competition last year in Ghana.
Kenya last staged the event in 2016 at the City Park Stadium where Kenya Police finished second after losing 3-2 in the final to Eastern Company from Egypt.
Butali Sugar Warriors who are currently a win away from winning the 2022-2023 men's Premier League title will represent Kenya at this year's event alongside women's champions Strathmore University Scorpions who lifted the title with three matches to spare.
Lakers Hockey Club from Kisumu and former champions Blazers are also in contention to represent the nation in the women's category as Western Jaguars and Kenya Police also battle it out in the men's category.
Blazers and United States International University of Africa were the last women's side to participate in the event in 2018 in Abuja, Nigeria.
Athletics: World Athletics Cross Country Championships and World Athletics Championships
Athletics has been known to put Kenya on the global map for many years. Last year, Ferdinand Omanyala brought the 100m African crown to Kenya as well as the Commonwealth Games 100m title as Eliud Kipchoge broke the Marathon record in Berlin.
Well, Kenyans will expect even more this year as the season kicks off with the cross-country.
The Regional Cross Country Championships will kick off this coming weekend followed by the trials for World Masters Athletics Indoor Championships
Athletics Kenya National Cross Country Championships will then be held on January 21 before it culminates with the World Athletics Cross Country Championships set for February 14 in Bathurst, Australia.
It will be the event's 44th edition and the second time after Auckland in 1988 that the championships will take place in Oceania
In April, Boston Marathon will take place as well as London Marathon. Peres Jepchirchir and Evans Chebet will look to defend their title in Ameria as Amos Kipruto seeks to reign supreme again in England.
World Athletics Relays will take place in May before the 19th edition of the World Athletics Championships kicks off from 19 August to 27 August 2023 in Budapest, Hungary.
After finishing in fourth place in the medal table last year in Eugene with only two gold medals from Emmanuel Korir (800m) and Faith Kipyegon (1500m), Kenya will sure seek an improved show.
Other events include Africa U18/U20 Championships in Zambia set for April, World Masters Athletics Indoor Championships set for March in Poland, GOLD-Continental Tour KipKeino Classic and World Athletics Relays in May and African Games and Commonwealth Youth Games in August.
Rally: WRC Safari Rally
The iconic Kenyan leg of the World Rally Championship (WRC) will return to Naivasha for the third year running on the weekend of June 22-25.
Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team speedsters led by champion Kalle Rovanpera will be the star attractions at this year's WRC Safari Rally which marks the highlight of the 2023 Kenya Motor Sports Calendar.
Rugby: World Rugby Sevens Series, Rugby World Cup
Kenya Sevens will be hoping to put behind their poor performance at the World Rugby Sevens Series last year ahead of the Hamilton Sevens set for this month.
Kenya collected one point from Hong Kong Sevens before improving to get five in the previous leg in Dubai.
With three points from South Africa, Shujaa are now 14th in the World standings after three rounds.
On the other hand, Kenya Simbas will be watching from the sidelines as the tenth edition of the men's Rugby World Cup set for France kicks off on September 8.
Simbas lost the Repechage matches against Portugal, USA and Hong Kong.
The Simbas lost 36-0 to Namibia during the 2022 Rugby Africa Cup finals where a win would have secured them a World Cup ticket.
