Six nominated for SOYA Coach of the Year Award

• KPA basketball have both men and women coaches nominated
• The awards will be staged in Nairobi this month
• The top three will be rewarded

Six coaches will battle it out for the Coach of the Year award at the 2022 Sports Personality of the Year Awards (SOYA) which is scheduled for this month in Nairobi.

Kenya Lionesses rugby team coach Dennis Mwanja; Kenya Port Authority (KPA) men’s basketball team coach Sammy Kiki; KPA women’s basketball team coach Anthony Ojukwu; Menengai Oilers Rugby Club coach Gibson Weru; KCB women’s volleyball team coach Japheth Munala and Para coach David Waore have been nominated.

Mwanja led the Kenya Lionesses national women’s sevens team closer to qualifying to the 2022-2023 Women’s World Rugby Sevens Series. The Lionesses claimed victories over China (17-15), South Africa (5-31), hosts Chile (5-15), thrashed Argentina 36-0 in the quarter-finals before losing to eventual winners Japan 22-15 and to China 31-5 in the battle for third place.

On his part, Kiki guided the KPA men’s basketball team to reclaim the national title after they blew away champions Ulinzi 80-61 in Game Five to take the final Series 3-2.

Ulinzi won Game One 68-66 before the Dockers hit back 69-58 to level in Mombasa before Game Three, Four and Five moved to Nairobi. Dockers also won Game Three 71-50 to go 2-1 up before the Soldiers levelled the Series 2-2 with a 57-48 victory, forcing the final Game Five clash.

Ojukwu lead KPA to women’s title

KPA coach Anthony Ojukwu talks to the team in a past match

Ojukwu led the KPA women’s basketball team to a win the women’s basketball league title after seeing off rivals Equity Hawks 70-64 in game 4 to their 15th title. Ojukwu also guided the team in qualifying for the 2022 FIBA Africa Champions Cup for Women in Maputo, Mozambique in December.

Japheth Munala led KCB led his women volleyball team to victory at the Africa Clubs championships in Tunisia in June, 2022.

Munala’s charges stun record champions Al Ahly of Egypt 3-1 in the final to lift the trophy. Munala is also part of the Malkia Strikers technical bench.

David Waore handled para powerlifter Hellen Wawira at the 2022 Commonwealth Games where she handed Kenya bronze in women’s lightweight.

Wawira collected 98.5 points to settle third behind Britons Zoe Newson and Olivia, who downed 102.2 and 100.0 points to claim gold and silver respectively. It was Kenya’s only medal outside athletics at the Commonwealth Games.

Waore also helped Wawira and Gabriel Magu win gold and silver respectively at the St. Louis World Para Powerlifting Championships in the USA.

Wawira attributes success to coach

Kenyan paralifter Hellen Wawira

Wawira attributes her success to coach Waore who has been working tirelessly with her since she got into para powerlifting with other persons living with disabilities at the Steel city gymnasium.

Coach Gibson Weru led Menengai Oilers to the 2022 National Sevens Series victory, the first ever title besides leading the team to their first Kenya Cup rugby league final before losing to Kabras Sugar 34-28 in the final.

Coach of the year nominees:

Dennis Mwanja (Rugby)

Gibson Weru (Rugby)

David Waore (Para)

Japheth Munala (Volleyball)

Sammy Kiki (Basketball)

Anthony Ojukwu (Basketball)