Adhiambo among quartet bag SJAKLG monthly awards

Four Sports Personalities of the Months of January, February, March and April have been feted for their achievements in the already scintillating 2023 season.

The quartet of Kenya Pipeline's Pamela Adhiambo, World Cross-Country 10km champion Beatrice Chebet, Tokyo Marathon champion Rosemary Wanjiru and London Marathon champion Kelvin Kiptum were yesterday rewarded in an unprecedented multiple award ceremony attended by Athletics Kenya Jackson Tuwei at Riadha House, Nairobi.

With the recognition, the winners walked home with personalized trophies and LG 55" NanoCell TV each. They beat several other high-flying nominees to earn the recognition.

Hard-hitting Kenya Pipeline volleyball team player Pamela Adhiambo won the January LG/SJAK player of the month after guiding her team to the Kenya Volleyball Federation ladies' national league title triumph during the season's playoffs in Nairobi.

Adhiambo bagged the MVP award after helping Pipeline reclaim the title they last won in 2017 in a 3-1 comeback victory over KCB.

World Cross-Country 10km champion Beatrice Chebet was named February winner of the award.

In a dramatic senior women's race at the Championships held in Bathurst, Chebet overpowered pre-race favourite Ethiopian Letesenbet Gidey, who fell and was disqualified meters from the finish.

Chebet, the U-20 World cross country champion in 2019, won senior gold in 33:48 minutes as Ethiopia's Tsigie Gebreselama clinched silver in 33:56 minutes and Agnes Jebet completed the podium places in 34:00 minutes.

The reigning Tokyo Marathon champion Rosemary Wanjiru took home the March award.

Wanjiru cruised to a surprise victory at the 2023 Tokyo Marathon on March 5, chalking up a win that placed her among the world's top ten fastest women marathoners.

The Iten-based long-distance athlete ran a remarkable race, clocking 2:16:28 to destroy a strong field in her second World Marathon Major.

London Marathon champion and the second fastest runner in the classic distance Kelvin Kiptum was named the April.

The 23-year-old had the performance of a lifetime only in his second marathon to floor a star-studded field and win the title in 2:01:25. This became the second fastest marathon, just 17 seconds shy of beating compatriot Eliud Kipchoge's marathon world record time of 02:01:09 set at the 2022 Berlin Marathon.

He won his marathon debut at the Valencia Marathon last year in what was the fastest debut in marathon history in 2:01:53 which was the third fastest time after Kipchoge's world record and Kenenisa Bekele.

LG Electronics East Africa Senior Trainer and Content Manager, William Kamore lauded the quartet for their exemplary performance.

"Kenya is known for producing great athletes be it in long- and middle-distance running, rugby or women's volleyball and therefore coming out tops lends credence to the level of resilience they give to the sport. As title sports of this award, we strive to raise the morale of athletes to help them target desirable limits in sports and make a difference in their livelihood. This informs the reason why LG and SJAK have partnered to inject the much-needed morale and gusto among athletes," said Kamore.

SJAK chairman James Waindi on his part congratulated the four athletes for their great effort saying: 'For the past 8 years we have partnered with LG to ensure that we raise the spirits of athletes across all sports."

"Today we see athletes fighting to break the ceiling and put Kenya on the global map. I'm glad that this award has worked to whip up the enthusiasm of athletes and also improve their welfare with a wide range of LG products."

Over the past years, the LG/SJAK awards has rewarded the creme de la creme of Kenyan sports including Eliud Kipchoge, Ferdinand Omanyala, trailblazing junior grand slam winner Angela Okutoyi, rally star Karan Patel and Faith Kipyegon among others.