Peter Munuhe and Jane Ndenga will be battling for the Sports man and woman Living with a Disability Award ahead of the 2018 Safaricom Sports Personality of the Year Awards (Soya).
Munuhe competing in Wheelchair Tennis will be battling with Dickson Ondwari, the handballer and Deaflympics runner Daniel Kiptum have other competitors like wheelchair racers Samuel Kuria and Henry Caleb Otieno for the coveted title set for January 11th at Fort Jesus in Mombasa.
As three times nominee Ndenga from Wheelchair tennis, Special Olympics
Team Kenya goalkeeper Michelle Kaindi and wheelchair racers Caroline Wanjira,
Eunice Adhiambo and Asia Mohamed are the contestants for the Sportswomen Living
with a Disability Award.
Munuhe, who was nominated last year, started his
season, winning bronze in singles at the World Team Cup Africa qualifier in
Nairobi in February before claiming silver medals in singles and doubles during
the ITF Nairobi Open Futures tournament the same month.
Munuhe once again settle for silver in singles
at Britam Kenya Open in September.
He again claimed silver medals in singles and
doubles at ITF Dan Devan Wheelchair Tennis Futures in Ghana and Nigeria
Wheelchair Open respectively all in October.
Munuhe, finished second in the category in 2017
after losing to the category and Soya overall winner Samuel Mushai.
Ondwari was the second highest top scorer at the
2018 World Deaf Handball Championship with 36 goals, four short of the highest
scorer Murat Chomaev of Russia.
Kiptum stunned defending champion Peter
Toroitich to win Safaricom Deaflympics Half Marathon in a time of 1 hour,
08 minutes and 02 seconds while Kuria was the wheelchair winner of the 21km
race during the Standard Chartered Nairobi Marathon in October.
Ndenga, who has for the last three years earned
nomination but without success, had one of her best seasons.
Ndenga started the year in style, winning good
gold in both singles at the ITF World Team Cup Africa qualifier in February in
Nairobi.
That saw her qualify for the World Team Cup held
in June-July in the Netherlands.
Then Ndenga would be elected as one of the 11
regional representatives at the ITF World Wheelchair Players’ Council in
July.
Ndenga also won gold in doubles and reached
singles semi-finals at ITF Nairobi Open Futures in February. She followed it up
with similar results at Britam Kenya Open in September where she won gold in
doubles before reaching the semis in singles.
Ndenga would settle for silver medals in singles
and doubles respectively at ITF Dan Devan Wheelchair Tennis Futures in Ghana
and Nigeria Wheelchair Open all in October.
Kaindi was the keeper at Special Olympics Team
Kenya for Soccer Unity Cup held in Chicago. Kenya might have finished sixth
overall but Kaindi won Golden Gloves for her outstanding performance.
She conceded only four goals against eventual
winners Slovakia while saving three. She conceded four while saving five
against silver medallists Brazil. She also conceded four while saving three
against USA.
Wanjira won women’s wheelchair 21km race,
beating Adhiambo and Mohammed during the Standard Chartered Nairobi Marathon in
October