SOYA: Zakayo among nominees for 2018 Most Promising Personality

Bronze medallist Uganda’s Kenya’s Edward Pingua Zakayo celebrates on the podium after the athletic's men's 5000m final during the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games at the Carrara Stadium on the Gold Coast on April 8, 2018. / AFP PHOTO

Zakayo and Kipruto among nominees for 2018 Most Promising Personality

World Under20 5,000m champion Edward Zakayo is among nominees for 2018 Most Promising Personality.

Zakayo, the Commonwealth Games bronze medalist, battles it out with World 10,000m Under-20 champion Rhonex Kipruto, Sofapaka, Harambee Stars forward Piston Mutamba, Judoka Carlos Ochieng and athlete Jackson Kavesa.

Kipruto won Africa Cross Country Under-20 men’s title in Chlef, Algeria in March and then the World Under-20 10,000m title in a Championship record of 27:21.08 in Tampere, Finland. He ran an impressive 26:46 at the Prague Grand Prix 10km, nearly breaking Leonard Patrick Komon’s world record of 26:44.

Ochieng is national champion in junior and senior under 60kgs in judo. He landed a scholarship to Japan where he trained in Kodokan university of Judo in Tokyo. He finished seventh at the World Judo Championships in Budapest, Hungary.

Teresa Engesha and World Under20 5000m champion Beatrice Chebet face off in the girls’ category. Engesha had a professional stint with Swedish Division 2 club Dalhem before helping FKF Women’s Premier League side Vihiga Queens to defend the title.

Engesha also played an integral part for Harambee Starlets in the Africa Women’s Cup of Nations (AWOCON) qualifiers, scored in Kenya’s 2-1 first leg victory over Equatorial Guinea in Machakos.

However, Engesha will face stiff challenge from Chebet who was in a class of her own at the world under-20 Tempere, Finland. She posted personal best 15:30.77, beating Ethiopians duo of Ejgayehu Taye and Girmawit Gebrzihair.  

Tennis player Angela Okutoyi also made the cut, the youngster won the ITF under -18 tournament in Burundi which saw her join the ITF World Tour team that enabled her tour France, German, Belgium and Czech Republic for five weeks between July and August.

After completion of her tour, Okutoyi went on to win the ITF/CAT Africa under -14 championships title in Algiers, Algeria in August, defeating home-girl Bouchra  Mebarki 4-6,6-0,6-1 to clinch the title.

Swimmer Brunlehner Maria also made the cut having won two gold medals and silver at Africa Youth Games held July in Algiers. The 18-year-old, who represented Kenya at Gold coast Commonwealth Games, won girls 100m and 50m freestyle respectively and silver in 50m breaststroke. [Dennis Okeyo]