Beatrice Chebet, Emmanuel Wanyonyi scoop top honors in 2024 SOYA Awards

Olympic champions Beatrice Chebet and Emmanuel Wanyonyi scooped top honours at the 21st edition of the Sports Personality of the Year Awards (SOYA) held at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) on Thursday night.

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The pair, who shone at last year’s Paris Olympic Games, winning a combined three gold medals, were crowned the 2024 SOYA Sportswoman and Sportsman of the Year respectively.

Chebet, in what was a sensational debut at the Summer Games, won double-gold in the 5000 and 10000 metres, while Wanyonyi kept up Kenya’s superiority in the 800m, taking gold.

Chebet won the award ahead of three-time Olympic 1500m champion Faith Kipyegon, Boston Marathon champion Hellen Obiri and marathon world record-holder Ruth Chepng’etich.

Wanyonyi, on the other hand, pipped Olympic bronze-medalist Benson Kipruto, boxer Boniface Mugunde and basketball sensation Albert Odero.

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In other prizes handed out in the black-tie annual event, Kenya’s U17 women’s national team shone, winning the SOYA Team of the Year award (women), while their head coach, Mildred Cheche, was crowned the Coach of the Year.

Cheche, in 2024, led the Junior Starlets to the 2024 FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup, making Kenyan football history.

Basketball side Nairobi City Thunder took the Team of the Year award in the men’s category, following their equally historic qualification to the Basketball Africa League (BAL).

Samson Ojuka, who last year became the first ever Kenyan to win a medal (silver) in long jump in the history of Paralympics, was crowned 2024 Sportsman With Disability, with Kenyan para-athlete and discus thrower Michelle Chepng’etich winning the Sportswoman With Disability gong.

All Saints Embu rugby team were also recognised for their fairy-tale runs to the East Africa and KSSSA National 15s rugby titles, winning the Boys' School of the Year Award.

Their head coach, Benson Mwenda, took home the School Coach of the Year Award.

Volleyball champions, Kesogon Girl,s on the other hand, won the Girls' Team of the Year.

In a notable recognition, former Gor Mahia head coach John Bobby Ogolla was inducted into the SOYA Hall of Fame.

Ogolla, 65, played as a defender for Kenya’s national football team - Harambee Stars - and is a renowned Kenyan coach, having coached multiple teams in the Kenya Premier League.