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The future of Kenyan sports is bright, at least on the pitch if the performance of youngsters and underdogs this year is anything to go by.
From the courts to the pitches, the track and on the roads, there were endless revelations as a new generation of players and teams wrote their names on history books.
The national men basketball team, the Morans, outdid themselves to finish second at the Africa Nations Cup held in Bamako, Mali.
Cliff Owuor’s charges could not go past DR Congo in the final, losing 61-82 but the icing on the cake was having two players, Tyler Okari and Bush Wamukota, in the Africa All-Star team with Okari being crowned top scorer.
Eric Mutoro, one of the stand out performers at the continental competition, carried his form to the local league where he helped Ulinzi Warriors emerge champions after seeing off Thunder 3-1 in the best-of-five series play-off final. Mutoro, known for his tireless work ethic and shooting, was also the top scorer in the play-offs this season.
Meanwhile, KPA’s Natalie Akinyi returned from maternity leave to emerge the best three-point shooter in the FIBA 3-on-3 African Cup shooting contest held in Kampala, Uganda in November.
In volleyball, Malkia Strikers picked one win at the FIVB World Cup in Japan after beating Cameroon 3-1 to finish 11th. But it was the heroics of 22-year-old Sharon Chepchumba that made the Kenyan queens tick.
She was Kenya’s top scorer with 102 points, never mind that she was just making her debut at the World Cup. Her powerful attacks also helped Kenya retain the African Games title in Rabat, Morocco beating Cameroon by a similar margin.
On the local scene, Kenya Ports Authority defied odds to finish second in the league and book a slot in the Africa Club Championships next year for the first time ever. Enock Omogeni, a fourth year student at Strathmore University who was making his first appearance at the play-offs, was the main man for the dockers. It was no surprise when he was named the best attacker in the league.
The tale of youngsters grabbing opportunities continued on the football scene where Kenya returned to the Africa Cup of Nations after 15 years. Joseph Okumu, tasked with filling the big shoes of Brian Mandela, never put a foot wrong in Cairo even as Harambee Stars exited the competition at the group stages.
His exploits at the heart of defence earned him a move to Swedish top tier side IF Elfsborg. Gor Mahia’s Lawrence Juma has also worked his way into Francis Kimanzi’s first eleven at the national team relegating Anthony Akumu to the bench.
Similarly, Gentrix Shikangwa was a revelation for Harambee Starlets this year. The 17-year-old scored crucial goals for Kenya in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics qualifiers and capped a break-out campaign by winning the Golden Boot award at the Cecafa Women Challenge Cup. She scored 10 goals in total including two in the final where Kenya beat Tanzania 2-0 to win the regional gong for the first time.
Brigid Kosgei, 25, earned her place at the high table of women marathoners after winning the Chicago Marathon in world record time. By clocking 2 hours, 14 minutes and 04 seconds, she not only improved her Personal Best by 4 minutes, 16 seconds but also shaved off 1 minute, 21 seconds off the previous world record held by Britain’s Paula Radcliffe.
World half marathon record holder Joyciline Jepkosgei made her full marathon debut in emphatic fashion. She planned her race perfectly to deny Mary Keitany a fifth New York Marathon title winning in 2:2:38 just seven seconds shy of Margaret Okayo’s course record. At only 27, she could be the next marathon star if her impressive debut is anything to go by.
Ruth Chepng’etich stunned a rich field that featured two-time world champion Edna Kiplagat to clinch marathon gold in the World Championships.
Despite the hot and humid conditions in Doha that saw 28 out of 68 starters withdraw, the 25-year-old romped to victory in 2:32:43.
Earlier in January, Chepngetich became the fourth fastest female marathon runner ever when winning the Dubai Marathon in 2:17:08. Only Kosgei, Radcliffe and women-only record holder Mary Keitany have run faster than her over 42km.
In cross country, Beatrice Chebet - the World Under-20 5,000m champion - underlined her status as an emerging long distance star after handing Kenya their first junior (6km) women gold since Faith Chepng'etich’s exploits in 2013.
On the track, youngsters Rhonex Kipruto and Edward Zakayo graduated to senior category. While Kipruto settled for bronze in the World Championships 10,000m, Zakayo claimed silver in the African Games 5,000m.
Alexander Kiprotich showed he could be the heir to his training partner Julius Yego by bagging silver in javelin at the African Games with an impressive throw of 77.50 metres.
Kenya men’s national 15s rugby Under-20 team qualified for the World Rugby U-20 Trophy for the first time in 10 years after winning the Africa Barthes Trophy.
Chipu, as they are affectionately known, finished sixth in the eight-team global tournament but picked a memorable 26-24 win over hosts Brazil in Pool ‘A’.
Geoffrey Okwatch, Andrew Matoka and Ibrahim Ayoo were among the stand out performers for Paul Odera. Ayoo won the World Rugby U-20s Keep Rugby Clean award.
Okwatch, the budding KCB winger, was also part of the Kenya Morans squad that won the Safari Sevens title after beating South Africa 19-14 in the final. South Africa had eliminated Kenya Shujaa in the semis.
Kenya Police boxer George Cosby Ouma made his international debut at the Rabat African Games in Morocco where he won bronze in the middleweight category. Ouma won silver at the African Games.
The Kisumu Day High School alumnus was consistent in the domestic league winning all his games with unanimous points decisions.
Another debutant Boniface Mugunde also claimed bronze in Rabat capping an impressive season where he was one of the consistent boxers from Chafua Chafua.
The footballer-turned-boxer destroyed all his opponents in the three legs of the national league in Busia, Nakuru and Mombasa to stamp his authority in the welterweight category before flooring his opponent in the Kenya Open championships in Mombasa last month.
Jeff Mungai was the brightest spark of the national skating team during the African Roller Games in Democratic Republic of Congo.
Mungai, 14, was the youngest member of the Kenya’s four-man team in the DRC. He won one gold and two bronze medals.
Hockey team Wazalendo will return to the continental scene next year after finishing second behind Butali Sugar Warriors in the men’s Premier League.
Wazalendo, who pipped Kenya Police to second place, last featured in the Africa Club Championships in 2007.
