Eleven year old tennis player Selline Ahoya is among five youngsters who have been nominated for this year’s Most Promising girl award at the forthcoming Sports Personality of the Year Awards gala set for Kakamega County on 18th January.
Ahoya will compete for the award against athletes Purity Chepkirui, Teresia Muthoni and Jackline Chepkoech and footballer Violet Nanjala.
Ahoya, a pupil at St. Bridget Catholic Primary school is ranked first in the Under 12 national rankings. She was a finalist in the Under-14 category during the Confederation of African Tennis in June and in September she won the Under-12 category during the Kenya Tennis Junior Challenge.
She continued with her imperious form in October winning the Under-12 category during the East Africa junior tennis championship in Kampala, Uganda where the Kenyan girls also won the overall title to qualify for the November Africa junior championship in Tunisia.
Ahoya will compete for the award against three world Under-20 champions; Purity Chepkirui, Teresia Muthoni and Jackline Chepkoech, who starred for the country during the World Under-20 Athletics Championships held at Kasarani in August and footballer Violet Nanjala of Vihiga Queens.
The 18th SOYA Awards gala is expected to consist of 16 categories where the overall sportsman and woman of the year will be crowned.
Al Duhail Fc and Harambee Stars forward Michael Olunga and 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games women’s marathon winner Peres Jepchirchir were feted as the best sportman and woman at last this year’s gala held in Naivasha,Nakuru Country.
By Fred Azelwa.