The Sports Personality of the Year Awards (SOYA) are scheduled to be held in Mombasa on January 24th 2020.
The awards which were first held in 2004 with six categories to recognize outstanding athletes across sporting disciplines, and the unique role that sports continue to play in shaping the Kenyan identity.
They have since grown to include 18 categories, celebrating male and female athletes as well as coaches, community heroes and sports federations across all disciplines
This comes amidst a boost to a tune of 16 million shillings from title sponsor Safaricom PLC that will go towards the Awards.
Speaking during the cheque presentation ceremony held in Nairobi on Wednesday, SOYA Awards Founder Paul Tergat thanked Safaricom for supporting SOYA Awards for the last 16 years.
“These awards are the highlight of the Kenyan sporting calendar and are growing each year to become a premier sports event. We are honored to be associated with one of the biggest brands in the country. Safaricom believed in my dream when I was still an active athlete and 16 years down the line, they continue to walk with us as we reward our sports personalities for their efforts throughout their season,” said Tergat.
Amongst the categories to be awarded include the Overall Sports Personality of the Year, Sportsman and Woman of the Year, Team of the Year for men and women as well as Federation of the Year. Others include Coach of the Year, Community Hero or Heroine usually recognized for their contribution to sports in the community, Hall of Fame and Sports Personalities Living with Disability. Upcoming athletes are also recognized through Most Promising Award and the School Categories.
