The Sports Journalists Association of Kenya (SJAK) president James Waindi, Anita Omwenga and Duncan Mutua recorded victories at the inaugural SJAK Indoor Games held yesterday at the Goan Institute in Nairobi.
With three disciplines -table tennis, darts and Chess- competed in, Waindi was on the spot in the event sponsored by KCB Bank, and Coca-Cola, LG East Africa and Excel Chemicals in kind, brought together over 50 SJAK members from various media houses across the country.
Leading by example, Waindi took the top spot in Chess ahead of Omwenga of KNA and Brandon Asiema of Radio Africa Group, who came second and third, respectively.
In table tennis, Duncan Mutua of TV47 emerged the overall winner, beating Luqman Mohammed of Citizen TV 11-7 in the best of one format. Luqman had earlier beaten Gregory Mulemi of Sporty FM 11-2.
Omwenga, who lost in Chess, had another opportunity to redeem his name by winning the darts competition, with Waindi and Peter Njoroge of BBC taking second and third place, respectively.
This year’s event marked the first time SJAK’s Sports Day featured indoor games, and it was a resounding success.
Mike Kuria, an ITTF-trained instructor, conducted the table tennis bit while Benson Ngari, a Kenya top seed, offiated in darts.
Peter Mwaura, KCB Bank head of Coporate and Stakeholder Relations on his part, said:
“KCB Bank is proud to have sponsored the SJAK Sports Day. This event is a testament to the power of partnership and collaboration. We’re happy to support initiatives that bring people together and promote a healthy lifestyle amongst media personalities. We look forward to continuing our support for SJAK in Kenya.”
The event was a great opportunity for sports journalists to come together, network, and showcase their skills in various sports.
Waindi said, “This year, we intended to do something different to also help our members learn the rules of indoor games unlike previous years when we went outdoors.. As sports journalists, we often cover various sports events, but we also wanted to create an opportunity for ourselves to engage in sports and have fun. We’re thrilled with how the event turned out, and we hope to make it an annual affair.”
Peter Njoroge of BBC was one of the best all-rounder rounders, finishing third in men’s chess and third overall in Darts.
Rebecca Magoma was the best lady in table tennis.