This archive report was first published on 3 December 2019.
Belinda Wanjiru, a nine-year-old golfer from Kenya, has made headlines in the golfing world with her impressive skills on the course. Published on December 3, 2019, Wanjiru has been shortlisted for the Most Promising Girl category in the 2019 Safaricom Sports Personality Of The Year Awards (SOYA) to be held in Mombasa in January.
Wanjiru will be competing against other talented young athletes, including Harambee Starlets forward Gentrix Shikangwa, African 400m silver medalist Mary Moraa, and University of Nairobi Basketballer Faith Atieno.
Wanjiru's nomination is not surprising, given her success in local and international golf tournaments this season. At just nine years old, she has already made a name for herself in the golfing world.
Wanjiru's golfing journey began at the age of four, and she quickly rose to fame after representing her school at the Banda Trophy nine-hole event at Karen Country Club in January. She emerged as the winner with a score of 20 stable Ford points.
Later in February, Wanjiru emerged as the net winner at the Sigona Ladies Open and was also adjudged the gross winner, earning her a bronze medal. In July, she finished second at the NPA nine-hole event with a score of 35 gross.
Wanjiru's impressive skills were further showcased when she represented Kenya in the World Championships in Pinehurst, USA, where she tied in position 41 out of 114 established participants.
Shikangwa, on the other hand, is also determined to make her mark in the country's sports scene. She has been instrumental in steering the Harambee Starlets to the Council of East and Central Africa Football Associations (CECAFA) Women Championships title after scoring both goals in Kenya's 2-0 victory over Tanzania in the final.
Shikangwa's other attribute is scoring two crucial goals for Starlets, enabling the team to reach the penultimate round of the Olympic qualifiers. She also notched the winning goal in the team's 3-2 win over Ethiopia in a friendly match.
Atieno, a University of Nairobi Basketballer, was instrumental in steering the Dynamites to a top three finish in the Kenya Basketball Federation (KBF) premier league. She averaged 15 points per game and set a record of netting seven three-pointers in a single first half.
Moraa, on the other hand, won the Kenyan trials on her way to clinching the African under 20 400m title in a time of 53.57 in Cote D'Ivore in April.
