Mombasa will host the Safaricom Sports Personality of the Year Awards (Soya) for the second year running. The region will be the beehive of the prestigious event scheduled for January 24.
The city hosted last year's edition at the historic Fort Jesus where world marathon record holder Eliud Kipchoge was crowned 2018 sports personality of the year.
Speaking during the launch at Tamarind Hotel in Mombasa on Thursday, Mombasa County Chief of Staff and acting County Secretary Job Tumbo, who represented Mombasa Governor Ali Hassan Joho, said the partnership with Soya will boost sports tourism.
Joho said he was committed to use Soya as a platform to inspire sports development in the Coast region.
The governor said that apart from the support from the county, the Hassan Joho Foundation will inject Sh500,000 into the fete.
"Sports industry is a multi-billion global industry and as a country we must start professionalising this industry and harness the economic opportunities that come with it. Our young men and women need not all be doctors and surgeons.
We need to start mentoring them into sporting careers. There are well-paying jobs and business ventures in sports including sports-related services and enterprises. From the manufacturing of sporting equipment, apparel to marketing and administration, the industry is ripe with untapped economic opportunities especially in Africa," Joho said.
In the next few months, he said, Mombasa will be launching the Mombasa International Stadium, a state of the art sports facility to stir latent talent in the region.
"This facility will be one of it's kind in the region and we shall welcome you to witness it, "Joho said in the speech read by Tumbo.
During the event, United Bank of Africa (UBA) joined the list of Soya sponsors by presenting a cheque of Sh500,000.
Communication Authority of Kenya, who were also represented in the launch, presented a cheque of Sh500,000.
Soya founder member Paul Tergat was represented at the event by national rugby sevens team player Willy Ambaka said Soya awards has been honouring sports personalities who excel in sports in the country.
Other sponsors included title sponsors Safaricom, County Government of Mombasa, Kenya Pipeline, Communication Authority of Kenya, New KCC, Lapfund, Kenya Power, UBA Bank, Nairobi Bottlers, Kenya Ports Authority, NHIF, NSSF, Kenya Tourism Board and GOtv.