The 2018 Sports Personality of the Year Award (SOYA) has nominated national under 20 volleyball player Esther Mutinda and tennis player Roselinda Asumwa as the most outstanding girls category.
The SOYA ceremony, for the first time, will be staged in Mombasa’s Fort Jesus and will face off with Kwale Girls’ striker Elizabeth Katungwa, Faith Wanyonyi of Moi Girls Kamusinga and hockey star Joan Anjao of Tigoi Girls.
Mutinda helped Kwathanze retain their national and East Africa volleyball title in another successful year and her exploits also saw her voted the most valuable player at the Regional Games in Musanze, Rwanda.
This saw her called up to the national under 20 team where she played for the junior Malkia Strikers at the continental event in August.
Asumwa, who is a student at Ngomeni Secondary School, won both the lawn tennis national and East Africa girls’ singles titles this year.
She also teamed up with Faith Nyabera to win the doubles gold at the regional games and help Kenya retain their title.
Asumwa has also played in a number of ITF competitions this year with the highlight been the final of the ITF East Africa junior circuit, where she lost to twin sister Angela Okutoyi.
Katungwa on the other hand was instrumental as her side claimed a historic double, winning both their first national and East Africa football titles.
Katungwa was voted the MVP at the nationals after emerging top scorer with seven goals. She also scored the winning goal during the regional final against Kawempe Muslim of Uganda.
Moi Girls Kamusinga handball team goalkeeper, Wanyonyi helped her side to claim their fifth national handball title.
She was also instrumental in them reaching the final at the regional games where they lost to Uganda’s Kibuli. Her exploits saw her voted MVP.
Tigoi Girls forward Anjao was the force behind her team’s silver medals at both the National and East Africa Games. She was the top scorer at the nationals with eight goals. In the EA games, she walked away with the MVP accolade
Source: SOYA