Basketballer Okot battles track stars for Most Promising Award
Basketball
By
Dennis Okeyo
| Dec 08, 2022
Budding basketball player Medina Okot will battle against track stars Faith Cherotich, Betty Chelang'at and Jackline Chepkoech for the SOYA 2022 Most Promising Girl Award, the organizers announced yesterday.
Boxer Jane Wangare and weightlifter Rachel Achieng will also spice up the category.
The 19th edition of the awards are set to be held on January 20, 2023, at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) and has attracted the Communications Authority, Lotto Foundation, Kenya Pipeline, NSSF and Safaricom as it's key sponsors.
Okot was among the top 60 African players that attended the Basketball Without Borders camp in Cairo Egypt early in the year.
She was an integral part of the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) team that clinched the national title and also part of Kenya's 3x3 team at the Commonwealth Games.
She was a vital part of the Under-23 side that qualified for the 3x3 World Championships in Romania for the first time and was named Most Valuable Player in the Africa Qualifiers as well as the international camp in Egypt.
The lanky Okot was a joint top point hitter in Kenya's resounding 21-8 opening victory against Sri Lanka at the Commonwealth Games.
Another nominee in the awards is fast-rising boxer Jane Wangare who is already causing ripples at only seventeen years.
Wangare won both the national novices and intermediate in minimum weight and is touted as Kenyan Olympian Christine Ongare's successor.
In athletics, Betty Chelang'at is a rising star who has deservedly inked her name in the nominations.
The 18-year-old won Kenya's first gold at the World Under-20 Championships in Cali by claiming victory in the women's 3000m in 9:01.03. Chelang'at also won the trials in Nairobi in 8:51.33.
In the same discipline, Faith Cherotich is also gunning for the coveted title after putting on a gallant display in global meetings.