Flying Baryan Eyes KNRC, Africa Rally Double Next Season

NAIROBI, Kenya- Two-time African Rally Championships (ARC) champion Manvir Baryan is looking forward to complete the local and continental double next year.

He made the announcement in Nairobi on Wednesday after receiving the Sports Journalists Association of Kenya (SJAK)/StarTimes Sports Personality Award for the Month for June in Nairobi.

“I’m happy that I successfully retained the ARC trophy this season. I’m now taking a break until November then I will make a return for the Guru Nanak Rally Championships,” Manvir told reporters.

He received KSh100,000 (USD991) in cash, a 43-inch LED television set and a trophy for winning the award.

The Multiple Racing Team member is planning to mount a challenge for the 2019 Kenya National Rally Championships (KNRC) having failed to clinch the local crown since he started rallying in 2011.

The father of one, navigated by his British co-driver Drew Sturrock won the monthly gong on the strength of his stirring victory at the Zambian Gomes International Rally in June that sealed the 2017 ARC championship.

The Zambian event was the fourth round of the continental series that saw Baryan win the South Africa, Uganda and Tanzanian legs of the ARC earlier this year.

Great honour

He is the fourth Kenyan to lay his hands on the African title after Shekhar Mehta and David Horsey in the 1980s and Jaspreet 'Jassi' Chatthe in 2015.

The 36-year old has also made history as the first ever-non South African to win an ARC contest in Nelspruit.

“I’m glad that my effort in rallying has finally been recognized. This award has inspired me to go beyond my limits in the game.

“The fact that I was considered for this alongside other world beating Kenyan athletes is such a great honour,” he noted.

Baryan edged tennis sensation Sheil Kotecha who won all his singles at the Davis Cup Africa Group III Tennis Championship at the Nairobi Club to help Kenya gain promotion into the Euro/Africa Group II ranking to the monthly accolade.

Other nominees for the June award were field athletes, Africa High jump champion, Mathew Sawe, female Triple jumper Gloria Mulei and Hammer thrower Dominic Abuda who set national records of 2.30m, 12.97m and 62.45m in that order at the Athletics Kenya National Championships held at MISC Kasarani.

“It’s the first time we are honoring a rally champion. Our aim is to show that the efforts of people engaging in various sports disciplines are being rewarded," StarTimes Kenya Marketing Director, Japheth Akhulia noted.

“The award cuts across all sports, from athletics to table tennis. We have been doing football for a while now and we felt it was also good to get something for other categories,” SJAK President Chris Mbaisi added.