NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan 13 – The 2021 Sports Personality of the Year Awards (SOYA) received on Thursday, sponsorship of KES 4 million from the Lotto Foundation, National Social Security Fund (NSSF) and Safaricom PLC.
Speaking at the sponsorship announcement and handover ceremony, SOYA founder Dr. Paul Tergat, celebrated Kenyans, specifically the sporting fraternity for their staying power in 2021, as the globe slowly emerged from the pandemic into a buzz of activities.
“This year, our awards gala reflects on the continued bravery of our sports men and women despite the global pandemic. As we go down to Kakamega County, SOYA is matching onto adulthood, in this 18th edition of the awards, with boldness and courage that better days lie ahead for our sportsmen and women,” he said.
Tergat commended County governments for their invitation and great reception when hosting the SOYA events in the respective counties.
“I am particularly impressed and encouraged by the enthusiasm by counties to welcome SOYA such as Kakamega County this year. Outside of Nairobi County where it all began; we have previously been hosted by Nakuru and Mombasa Counties. We are indeed grateful,” noted an elated Tergat.
He also thanked the corporate sponsors who have supported this initiative over the years and continue to do so without hesitation.
“Indeed, the journey to recognise and celebrate our sportsmen and women has bore fruits. We are now keener to nurture and grow talent from the grassroot level and ensure recognition of Kenya as a sporting nation remains part of who we are as a nation,” he explained.
SOYA chairman, Chris Mbaisi, added that the exemplary performance in 2021 was an indicator by our sporting fraternity on the zeal to make a comeback and leave an indelible mark.
“There is indeed hope and enthusiasm in sports getting back to normalcy. We are hopeful that once again we will see our stadiums, pitches and fields filled with sports fans and enthusiasts. As the panel of judges, we have seen the resilience and push, our sportsmen and women displayed in 2021 and we encourage them to keep on keeping on as we journey on this road to recovery,” he said.
NSSF’s Public Relations & Communications Manager, Dr. Chris Khisa, noted that as a partner, they are happy to share a platform with distinguished sportsmen and women.
“We as NSSF encourage our sports icons to consider active saving of their earnings with NSSF and receive very good returns from their savings,” explained Dr. Khisa. Lotto Foundation CEO, Dr. Joan Mwaura expressed the foundation’s continued support sports as it brings a great sense of patriotism and togetherness from the community level to the global scene.
“We believe that sports initiatives in all levels can positively impact communities both socially and economically. We are committed to supporting all sporting endeavours as a way of encouraging our youth to pursue sports as a viable and rewarding career option,” noted Dr. Mwaura.
Safaricom PLC on their part expressed their confidence in the initiative that is SOYA which fetes sportsmen and women. They acknowledged the importance of partnerships with initiatives such as SOYA that provide a platform through which budding talent is identified, nurtured and feted.
The card only event will be held in Kakamega County on 25th January, 2022, at the Bukhungu Stadium hosted by the main sponsors, the County Government of Kakamega.
The other sponsors of this year’s gala event are the National Social Security Fund (NSSF), the Lotto Foundation, Kenya Academy of Sports (KAS), CPF Financial Services, Safaricom PLC, Kenya Pipeline and New KCC.
