Double Deaflympic champion Simon Cherono is the inaugural of Sports Personality of the Month Award courtesy of StarTimes.
The athlete was so impressive during the 2017 Deaflympic Games staged in Samsun City in Turkey after winning two gold medals in 10,000m and 5,000m and a bronze in 1,500m races at the games.
Cherono won the July Award after beating four other contestants and walked away with cash prize of Sh100,000 as well as 40-inch TV courtesy of sponsors StarTimes.
He beat another Deaflympian Daniel Kiptum, rugby player Darwin Mukidza and een athletes Gloria Mulei and Dominic Samson.
Cherono said that the award will inspire him to work even harder in his career.
“It is an honour to become the first winner of this award and even more humbling that you have considered me a deaf person for this honour. It is indeed a true testament that hard work pays and disability is not inability,” Cherono said at the award ceremony in Nairobi.
Kenya journalists group in an umbrella of Sports Journalists Association of Kenya (SJAK) selects the winner.
“In the past you have only been organising awards for footballers but the move to award other disciplines shows you value all sports,” he added.
SJAK chairman Chris Mbaisi called on all sportsmen and women to continue working hard in their respective disciplines.
“This is another milestone for sports in the country and this award will go a long way in improving the well-being of our sportsmen and women,” Mbaisi said.
StarTimes Director of Marketing and Public Relations Japheth Akulia lauded Cherono for his scintillating display in Turkey, challenging other sports persons to follow suit.