_(1)_(1).jpg)
Kenya 7s ace nominated for prestigious award in London
.jpg)
Reading Time: 2min | Sun. 10.08.25. | 20:08
Within the national rugby team, he has successfully led efforts to eliminate single-use plastics during training by introducing reusable bottles
Kenya Sevens international and Kabras RFC forward Kevin Wekesa has been nominated for the 2025 Sport Positive Awards, earning global recognition for his groundbreaking environmental campaign, Play Green With Wekesa.
The four-time Kenya Cup champion is in the running for the Next Generation Trailblazer Award.
Follow our WhatsApp channel for more news
He will compete against an impressive field of nominees, including Ben Hardy-Jones (The Desert Vipers), Emma Howe (Deloitte), Hamid Bouzit (Tibu Africa), Ioannis Konstantopoulos (University of Lausanne), Logan Waddle (Penske Entertainment), Luigi Cordasco (Malmö FF), Rebecca Videlo (World Sailing), and Sabrina De Angelis (Own Your Voice Academy).
A final shortlist will be unveiled on Friday, 29 August, with winners set to be announced on Tuesday, 7 October in London.
Wekesa’s Play Green initiative is a sport-driven environmental campaign designed to tackle climate change and promote sustainability.
Within the national rugby team, he has successfully led efforts to eliminate single-use plastics during training by introducing reusable bottles.
His environmental advocacy extends beyond the pitch. Wekesa has spearheaded the planting of more than 1,500 trees in schools and communities, creating “Shujaa Forests” and inspiring climate stewardship among thousands of young people.
His campaign has influenced other sports as well, with the Kenya National Tennis Federation adopting similar plastic reduction measures and promoting a circular economy for sports gear.
One of Wekesa’s defining traits is his ability to unite, bringing together rival rugby clubs, athletes, and communities in collective environmental action.
His efforts have earned him international recognition as a Lewis Pugh Foundation Sports Champion, cementing his status as one of the leading voices in climate action through sport.
The Sport Positive Awards celebrate global leaders using sport to address climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental justice.
Other 2025 categories include Biodiversity Project, Campaign of the Year, Community Initiative, Leadership Education and Training, Inspired Innovation, Purpose-Led Partnership, Research of the Year, and Transformation.
Kenya also features in other categories, with Athletics Kenya for Environment and Diversity nominated for the Purpose-Led Partnership with a Non-Profit award.
In the Transformation category, Hong Kong China Rugby is recognised for The Call of the Dragon, rugby’s first Sustainability Action Plan, alongside English Premier League clubs Arsenal and Liverpool.
Launched in 2024, the Sport Positive Awards run in partnership with the BBC Green Sport Awards, which focus on athlete-led climate stories for global audiences, while Sport Positive honours individuals and organisations driving sustainability across the global sports industry.
