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Eleven-year-old tennis player Selline Ahoya is among five other youngsters who have been nominated for the Most Promising girl gong during this year’s Sports Personality of the Year Awards (Soya) gala awards set for Kakamega County on January 19.

Ahoya, a pupil at St Bridget Catholic Primary School is ranked first in the Under-12 national rankings.

She was a finalist in the Under-14 category during the Confederation of African Tennis in June and in September she won the Under-12 category in Tennis Kenya Junior challenge.

She bounced back at the top of her game once again in October winning the Under-12 category in the East Africa teams’ competition in Kampala, Uganda, where the Kenyan girls also won the overall title to qualify for the November Africa junior championship in Tunisia.

Ahoya will, however, still face a challenge at the gala from three track stars and a footballer.

Ahoya is up against three world Under-20 champions, who made Kenya proud during the World Under-20 Athletics Championships held at Kasarani in August.

One of the global champions who will be hoping to be crowned the Most Promising athlete is Purity Chepkirui.

Chepkirui won Kenya back the World Athletics Under-20 Championships women’s 1,500m title after nine years.

She won the title in 4:16.07 to end Ethiopia’s dominance, as her compatriot Winnie Jemutai clocked 4:18.99 for bronze. Chepkirui had won the national trials.

Personal best

Olympic 1,500m champion Faith Chepng’etich was the last Kenyan to hold the title, having won in 2012 in Barcelona.

Chepkirui also won the women’s Under-20 race during the National Cross Country Championships in February this year.

Teresia Muthoni Gateri who guided compatriot Zenah Jemutai to a 1-2 finish as Kenya ended a long wait for women’s victory in the 3,000m at the World Under-20 Championships is also eyeing the Soya title.

Muthoni triumphed in a personal best time of 13:20.37 seconds as Jemutai took silver in 13:20.65.

Muthoni’s victory was the first by a Kenyan since Mercy Chebwogen’s exploits in 2012 Barcelona, Spain

Another world Under-20 champion who has been nominated for the award is Jackline Chepkoech.

Chepkoech destroyed the field to uphold Kenya’s dominance in women’s 3,000m steeplechase, winning the race in personal best of 9:27.40.

Chepkoech retained the title which fellow countrywoman Celliphine Chespol won in the last two editions in 2016 Bydgoszcz and 2018 Tampere both in championship records.

Footballer Violet Nanjala of Vihiga Queens will, however, be hoping to beat Ahoya and the track trio for the award.

The 19-year-old was poached by Vihiga Queens from Trans Nzoia Falcons after topping the Zone B FKF Women’s Premier League side with 21 goals thanks to four hat-tricks. Nanjala scored four goals in the inaugural 2021 CAF Women’s Champions League, netting all in one game against South Sudan’s Yei Join Stars.

The gala, which will be held in Bukhungu Stadium, is sponsored by the County Government of Kakamega, Lotto Foundation, CPF Financial Services, NSSF and Safaricom.