NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan 11 – National women’s volleyball team, Malkia Strikers, Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB) volleyball team, national 3×3 basketball team and women’s handball champions Nairobi Water Queens are among top sides in the country nominated for the Sports Personality of the Year (SOYA) Women’s Team of the Year Award.
The teams have churned out exceptional performances at local and international competitions in the preceding year and produced players who have caught the eye of scouts worldwide.
Despite the financial challenges preceding their training camp in Brazil, Malkia fought gallantly at the subsequent World Championships in the Netherlands and Poland where they missed a historic knockout stage slot by a whisker – losing 3-1 to Puerto Rico in their final Pool A match.
Nonetheless, the performances of the ladies did not go unnoticed as international clubs soon came knocking for the signatures of standout players such as Sharon Chumba and Veronicah Adhiambo.
On the club front, KCB made history as the second Kenyan side to lift a continental trophy after they defeated their bitter rivals, Al-Ahly of Egypt 3-1, to clinch the Africa Club Championships in Tunisia.
Japheth Munala’s charges effectively followed in the footsteps of national champions Kenya Prisons who were the last side from the country to win the coveted trophy in 2013.
The women’s 3×3 basketball quartet of Melisa Akinyi (captain), Hilda Indasi, Victoria Reynolds and Madina Okot was one of the brightest sparks at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games in July, making the quarterfinals at the first time of asking where they eventually bowed out to Australia.
In handball, the Water Queens stood heads and shoulders above their competitors, including in the East Africa Handball Championships in Zanzibar where they blanked fellow Kenyans, National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB), 25-21 to lift the regional title.
They are currently unbeaten in the national handball league and are poised to stroll to another title, adding to the Super Cup they won earlier in the season.
Lionesses of Africa
In rugby, the national 15s side managed to swat aside their financial woes to set themselves on the path to the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup in England after huge wins over Zambia (36-17) and Uganda (23-3) in their Africa Cup Pool B clashes.
The wins earned them the right to compete at this year’s Africa Championships, which will serve as qualifiers for the World Cup.
Furthermore, Lionesses jumped two places up the World Rugby rankings from 27th to 25th position.
University of Strathmore Scorpions were also making waves in women’s hockey, defeating United International University’s (USIU) Spartans 4-2 to win their maiden national title with two games to spare.
In athletics, Hellen Syombua, Joan Cherono, Veronicah Mutua and Jacinta Shikanda added to Kenya’s medal haul at June’s Senior Africa Athletics Championships in Reduit, Mauritius when they won silver in the 4x400m relay.
The winner will be announced during the award gala set for January 20 at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre (KICC).
This year’s awards have been sponsored by the Communication Authority of Kenya (CA), Kenya Pipeline Corporation (KPC), Lotto Foundation, the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) and Safaricom PLC.
