Faith Nzilani

Tennis star Angela Okutoyi and Kenya Morans’ forward Tylor Ongwae were yesterday named the LG Sports Personalities of the months of January and February respectively. 

Okutoyi earned the award after winning two back-to-back ITF Junior J4 singles events in Nairobi.

She won 6-3, 6-2 against Celine Simunyu of Ireland and beat Hungary’s Luca Udvardy 6-1, 6-4 to move to a career high ranking of 127 globally.

She also won one doubles title and took second place in another partnering with Iran’s Meshkatolzahra Safi. 

Okutoyi beat autocross star driver Lovejyot Singh to the coveted title. Ongwae, on the other hand, was instrumental in Morans’ win over 11-time Afro-basket Championship title holders Angola, a win that handed the team a ticket to the biennial Afro-basket showpiece after a 28-year hiatus. 

He was also named in the Fiba Africa Top 10 list of players after leading Morans with team-highs of 14.8 points and 4.2 assists.

He was also the team’s second leading rebounder with 7.2 boards in five games.

He was key in Kenya’s most important win as his buzzer-beater mid-range jumper stunned Angola 74-73 to ensure Kenya a place at Afro-Basket 2021.  

The Denmark-based Ongwae beat reigning Safari Rally and Kenya champion Baldev Chager to the February award

Speaking at the launch, LG managing director Sa Nyoung Kim hailed the partnership with Sports Journalists Association of Kenya (SJAK), saying it will contribute towards development of sport in Kenya by recognising local talent. 

“Recognising and rewarding performance is an important step in identifying and nurturing local sporting talent.

Kenya is known globally for her sporting talent especially in athletics, and we are seeing promising talent in other disciplines, hence our decision to collaborate with SJAK to advance development of sports talent in Kenya,” said Kim. 

SJAK president Chris Mbaisi said the award will go a long way in motivating Kenyan sportsmen and women who have endured many challenges in the past one year owing to the Covid-19 pandemic. 

LG Electronics will sponsor this year’s Sports Personality of the Month Award to a tune of Sh6.6million.

The event organised by SJAK will run for one year, starting January through to December 2021.

 Among the products the winners will receive as awards include LG NanoCell TV with in-built AI that delivers high quality picture and sound and a superior viewing experience, as well as the LG AI DD washing machine featuring some of the most advanced features using steam technology.