Junior Starlets and Nairobi City Thunder reign at SOYA awards gala
Event also saw Olympic 800m champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi and Olympics 5,000m women champion Beatrice Chebet go home with top gongs
The 2025 Sports Personality of the Year Awards (SOYA) saw national basketball defending champions Nairobi City Thunder and Junior Starlets shine with top awards in an event that feted sporting stars.
This year’s gala that was held Thursday night at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) auditorium also saw Olympics 800m champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi and Olympics 5,000m women champion Beatrice Chebet go home with top gongs. The two who between them shared three awards respectively, went away with the Sportsman of the Year and the Sportswoman of the Year awards respectively.
Wanyonyi, 20, who clinched gold in the men’s 800 metres plus having an overall stellar season in 2024, saw out competition from fellow athletes Benson Kipruto & Ronald Kwemoi, alongside Kenya Morans basketball player Albert Odero and boxer Boniface Mugunde-who is Hit Squad captain, for the top men’s honour.
As for 25-year-old Chebet, who delivered a golden double in the 5,000metres and 10,000 metres at the Paris Games, beat a superb field that included 1,500 metres Olympics champion Faith Kipyegon, Boston Marathon winner Hellen Obiri, world marathon record holder Ruth Chepng’etich, and steeplechase bronze medalist Faith Cherotich.
The year 2024 was a successful year for the diminutive Chebet after opening the season with a World Cross Country title defense, then went on to smash the 10,000m world record at the Prefontaine Diamond League setting a new time of 28:54.14 before wrapping the year with a double gold at the Paris Olympics in 10,000m and 5000m. She also won the Diamond League trophy.
Nairobi City Thunder was also exceptional and beat bigwigs for Men’s Team of the Year. The Brad Ibs coached team had a dominating 2024/2025 season that saw them qualify for the Basketball Africa League (BAL) and also going through the regular domestic season unbeaten.
Junior Starlets (Kenya’s national under-17 girls’ football team), on their part, won Women’s Team of the Year after making history in 2024 by becoming the first Kenyan team to qualify for a FIFA Women’s World Cup. The U17 girls’ national team’s spirited performances in the qualifiers earned them a ticket to the 2024 FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup in the Dominican Republic, capturing the hearts of the nation and inspiring a new generation of young girls. Additionally, head coach Mildred Cheche, who guided the Starlets through a rigorous qualification path, was honoured as Coach of the Year.
The Kenya U20 men’s national team, Rising Stars, capped off a strong year by finishing as runners-up at the U20 AFCON CECAFA qualifiers in Tanzania. Their runner-up finish earned them a coveted slot in the 2025 Africa U20 Cup of Nations.
Other winnders were: Hall of Fame Inductee (John Bobby Ogola-Football), Sports Man with Disability (Samson Ojuka-Para-Athletics),Sports Woman with Disability (Michelle Chepng’etich), School Coach of the Year (Benson Mwenda-All Saints Embu-Rugby 15s), Boys School Team of the Year (All Saints-Embu-Rugby 15s), Girls School Team of the Year (Kesogon Secondary School-Volleyball).
