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Kenya Sports Federation of the Deaf (KSFD) and Kenya Tong-Il Moo-Do Federation will battle Athletics Kenya (AK), Kenya Motor Sports Federation and Special Olympics of Kenya for the Sports Federation of the year accolades at the 2019 Safaricom Sports Personality of the Year Awards (Soya).

The winner will be declared and rewarded alongside others during the 2019 Soya Gala which apart from Safaricom as the title sponsor, has also been sponsored by the County Government of Mombasa, Kenya Pipeline, Communications Authority of Kenya, New KCC, Lapfund, Kenya Power, UBA Bank, Nairobi Bottlers, Kenya Ports Authority, NHIF, NSSF, Kenya Tourism Board and Gotv. The gala has been planned for January 24 in Mombasa County.

KSFD have been able to launch new deaf sports disciplines like rugby, tennis, badminton and cycling which have attracted very active sportsmen and women.

KSFD also managed to send a team to the World Deaf Swimming Championships in Brazil in August 2019 and successfully hosted the First Africa Deaf Athletics Championships with 12 African countries taking part. Kenya topped the competition with 54 medals (20 golds, 16 silvers and 18 bronzes).

Tong-Il Moo-Do sent representatives to the World Masterships Martial Arts championship 2019. The team bagged nine medals; two gold, two silver and five bronze. Among the gold medalists were Gordon Ochieng in men over 90kgs and Lona Apiyo Abiero in women under 65kgs.

Rose Wacheke claimed silver in women over 65kgs with Collins Ndunda Muriungi, Samson Mambo Garama and Andrew Wanje Ziro winning silver in team event.

The federation has also been able to acquire modern training facilities that have greatly enhanced the development of the athletes to international standards. Tong-IL Moo-Do Kenya currently has the best martial arts sparring equipment, which helps develop the sport countrywide.

KMSF successfully pushed for the return of the iconic Safari Rally back to the World Rally Championships Series in 2020. The federation successfully hosted the Candidate Rally this year that sealed the return to the WRC Series.

Bagged medals

Athletics Kenya took teams to the World Cross Country Championships held on March 30 in Denmark, Africa Under-20 and Under-18 Championships held April 16-20 in Abidjan, Cote D’Ivoire and African Games held from August 19-30 in Rabat. Morocco.

The country claimed eight medals; two gold, three silver and three bronze, finishing second behind Ethiopia at the World Cross where Hellen Obiri and Beatrice Chebet claimed victories in senior women 10km and Junior women 6km races respectively.

The country topped the medal standings in the Under-20 event with 26 medals; 12 gold, nine silver and five bronze but finished second behind South Africa in the Under-18 competition with 18 medals; five gold, seven silver and six bronze.

At the African Games, Kenya won 20 medals; 10 gold, seven silver and three bronze to finish second in athletics behind Nigeria, who had 10 gold, seven silver and six bronze medals at the African Games held August 26-30. Athletics was the largest contributor of medals for Kenya’s seventh overall position at the Games.