She stepped on the podium with smiles to receive her Sports Personality of the Year Award (SOYA) as the best sports person in 2016 to wrap up the awards for sports persons in the country as runners dominated the awards at the Thursday night’s event at Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC), Nairobi.
Vivian Cheruiyot popularly referred to us Pocket Rocket, emerged from her maternity leave in 2015, went on to win the IAAF World 10,000m title and went ahead to clinch double medals at the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games titles-a gold in 5000m and silver in 10,000m.
As the season ends with mother of all awards, Cheruiyot had scooped the Athletics Kenya overall female athlete of the year award and Soya was an added advantage to the 33-year old athlete.
The triple world champion faced a stiff competition from fellow Olympic gold medalist Eliud Kipchoge who won the second marathon Olympic title for Kenya and his first Olympic gold, double Paralympics gold medalist Samuel Mushai together with Nancy Koech.
This was her second Soya title after she won in 2011 following her exploits at the world championships in Daegu, South Korea.
“I am so grateful for winning this award, this shows that when you focus on
what you love doing no matter how long it takes you will one day be
rewarded, I have been active running for the last years eyes and here I am
receiving this great achievements,” Cheruiyot said.
“As I earlier stated I have shifted my focus now on marathon, I have sesven active years in racing and its deemed good if I participate in marathon starting with the London Marathon in April.”
She encourage young athletes to pick from where she has left and continue
representing the country in the field races and do better than she did.
Cheruiyot joins Catherine Ndereba (2004,2005), Janet Jepkosgei
(2006,2007) the other women that have won two times the SOYA award. She pocketed Kshs 1million from the chief guest Ethiopian Legend and Ethiopian Athletics President Haile Gebreslassie.
The 2016 Soya Awards Awardees:
Sports Personality of the Year (Overall)
1. Vivian Cheruiyot (Athletics)
Sportsman:
- Eliud Kipchoge (Athletics)
- Conseslus Kipruto (Athletics)
- David Rudisha (Athletics)
- Collins Injera (Rugby)
Sports Woman:
- Vivian Cheruiyot (Athletics)
- Faith Chepngetich (Athletics)
- Jemimah Sumgong (Athletics)
Sports Team (Men)
- National Rugby Sevens Team
- Tusker Football Club
- Kenya Simba (National Rugby 15s team)
Sports Team (Women)
- Harambee Starlets (Football)
- Telkom Orange (Hockey)
- National Roll Ball team
Sportsman with Disabilities
- Samuel Muchai (Athletics)
- Henry Kirwa (Athletics)
- Peter Munene (Athletics)
Sports woman with disabilities (Women)
- Nancy Koech (Athletics)
- Nelly Sile (Athletics)
- Irene Cherono (Athletics)
School Team (Boys)
- Friends School Kamusinga (Hockey)
- Kakamega (Rugby)
- Upper Hill (Basketball)
School Team (Girls)
- Kaya Tiwi (Basketball)
- Sinyolo Girls ( Hockey)
- AIC Kosirai (Volleyball)
School Coach
- Philip Onyango (Basketball)
- Outstanding Sports Schools (Boys)
- Allan Singar (Table Tennis)
Outstanding Sports Schools (Girls)
- Hadasah Gichovi (Swimming)
- Most Promising (Boys):
- Kipyegon Better (Athletics)
- Ryan Randiek (Tennis)
- Joseph Okumu (Football)
Most Promising (Girls)
- Mwanahalima Adam (Football)
- Sneha Kotecha (Tennis)
- Kelly Gachaga (Golf)
Federation/Association
- Tennis Kenya
- Football Kenya Federation
- Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association
Coach
- Jos Openda (Hockey)
Community Hero
- Felix Oloo (Rugby)
Hall of Fame
- Jackson Omaido (Rugby)
- Naftali Temu (Athletics)