This archive report was first published on 12 January 2020.
Michael Olunga, the Harambee Stars striker, is set to face off against some of Kenya's top athletes for the Safaricom Sportsman of the Year Award (Soya) on January 24 in Mombasa.
Olenga, who became the first Kenyan to score a brace at the Africa Cup of Nations last year, will be competing against a horde of top athletes, including World 1,500m champion Timothy Cheruiyot, Olympic and World champion Conseslus Kipruto, World Half Marathon record holder Geoffrey Kamworor, and World Marathon record holder Eliud Kipchoge.
Olenga's impressive performance at the Africa Cup of Nations, where he scored a brace against Tanzania in the group stage, earned him the man of the match award.
At club level, Olenga has been making waves in Japan's second tier, scoring 29 goals and providing nine assists in 33 appearances for Kashiwa Reysol.
His impressive form has helped the side gain promotion to the Japanese Premier League, and he was crowned the player of the month in August after scoring his first hat-trick for Kashiwa Reysol.
Other nominees for the Safaricom Sportsman of the Year Award include Timothy Cheruiyot, who had a stellar 2019 season, winning 10 out of 11 races and claiming his maiden World 1,500m title in Doha.
Conseslus Kipruto will also be remembered for his dash in Doha to retain his World 3,000m Steeplechase title, a feat he achieved following a troubled 2019 season with injuries.
Geoffrey Kamworor, on the other hand, took 17 seconds off the World Half Marathon record at the Copenhagen Half Marathon in September, winning the IAAF Gold Label road race in 58:01.
The Safaricom Sports Personality of the Year Award (Soya) gala has been sponsored by several organizations, including Safaricom, the County Government of Mombasa, Kenya Pipeline, Communication Authority of Kenya, and others.
