SOYAS 2018: Kiptum, Kuria Top Contenders For Sportsman Living With Disability Award

 NAIROBI, Kenya- National Deaflympics Half Marathon champion, Daniel Kiptum, and Standard Chartered Nairobi Marathon 21km wheelchair race winnner,Samuel Kuria,are among athletes in contention for Sportsman Living With A Disability Award in the 2018 Safaricom Sports Personality of the Year Awards (SOYA) slated for January 11 in Mombasa.

Other strong contenders for the title include Peter Munuhe (Wheelchair tennis), Dickson Ondwari (handball) and wheelchair racing duo of Samuel Kuria and Caleb Otieno.

Jane Ndenga, who has been nominated for the fourth time, is hopeful that she will carry the day following her achievements in wheelchair tennis this year.

Ndenga won gold in the singles category at the ITF World Team Cup Africa qualifier in Nairobi in February which  saw her qualify for the World Team Cup held between June and July in the Netherlands.

Ndenga also won gold in the doubles and reached the singles semi-finals at the ITF Nairobi Open Futures in February.

She followed this up with similar results at the Britam Kenya Open in September where she won gold in the doubles before reaching the semis in the singles.

Ndenga would then settle for silver in singles and doubles at the ITF Dan Devan Wheelchair Tennis Futures in October in Ghana, an accomplishment she repeated  same month at the Nigeria Wheelchair Open.

Ndenga was also elected as one of the 11 regional representatives at the ITF World Wheelchair Players' Council in July.

Ndenga should brace for a tough battle from another wheelchair ace, Peter Munuhe, who won bronze in singles at the World Team Cup Africa qualifier in Nairobi in February before claiming silver in singles and doubles at the ITF Nairobi Open Futures tournament the same month.

Golden gloves

Munuhe settled for silver in singles at the Britam Kenya Open in September and won the same medal in singles and doubles at the ITF Dan Devan Wheelchair Tennis Futures in Ghana and at the Nigeria Open the following month.

Special Olympics Team Kenya goalkeeper, Michelle Kaindi, is another contender for the crown together with women’s wheelchair racing trio of  Caroline Wanjira, Eunice Adhiambo and Asia Mohamed.

Kaindi was the custodian for Team Kenya at the Special Olympics Unity Football Cup held in Chicago where the country finished sixth overall with Kaindi winning the  Golden Gloves for her outstanding performance.

Dickson Ondwari , who was the second highest top scorer at the 2018 World Deaf Handball Championship with 36 goals, four short of the highest scorer Murat Chomaev of Russia, has also been nomanated for the awards.

Wanjira won the women's wheelchair 21km race, beating Adhiambo and Mohammed at the Standard Chartered Nairobi Marathon in October.