Tennis player Angela Okutoyi and Kenya Morans’, the national men’s basketball team Tylor Ongwae are the LG Sports Journalists Association of Kenya (SJAK) sportspersons for January and February, respectively.
Okutoyi earned the award after winning two back-to-back International Tennis Federation Junior J4 singles events in Nairobi.
Ongwae was instrumental in Morans’ qualification for this year’s Afro-Basket Championships in Kigali, Rwanda after a 28-year hiatus.
Other February nominees were Felix Kipruto, Eric Sang, Beatrice Chepkoech, Kevin Odhiambo, Gideon Rono, Zablon Okwam and Pamela Odhiambo.
Both Okutoyi and Ongwae received an LG Fridge for their feat during the launch of the event. From January to December this year, the electronics firm will sponsor SJAK’s monthly awards to a tune of Sh6.6million.
Speaking at the launch, LG managing director, Sa Nyoung Kim, said the partnership with SJAK will enhance development of sport in Kenya by recognizing 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,” Kim said.
SJAK president Chris Mbaisi said the initiative will motivate Kenyan sportsmen and women who have endured many challenges in the past one year owing to the Covid-19 pandemic.