SOYA Awards: Kenya’s Junior Stars and Kakamega Homeboyz Secure Nominations for Prestigious Honour

• Kenya's Junior Stars have been nominated for Team of the Year at the SOYA Awards
• Also nominated in the same category is the Kenya Rugby Sevens team, Shujaa
• The annual award ceremony is a brainchild of legendary distance runner Paul Tergat

The Kenya national under-18 men’s football team have been nominated for the 2023 Sports Personality of the Year (SOYA) Awards.

The ‘Junior Stars’ have been nominated in the Team of the Year category following their exploits in the Council for East and Central Africa Football Associations (CECAFA) U-18 championship.

The team was impressive throughout the tournament held in Kakamega and Kisumu County but lost 2-1 to neighbours Uganda U-18 in the final.

Junior Stars dominated Group A matches, securing victories over Sudan (5-0), Rwanda (1-0), and Somalia (4-1). The semi-final clash against tournament favourites Tanzania was a spectacle, culminating in a nerve-wracking 4-3 win on post-match penalties after a goalless draw in regular time, as reported on Capital Sports.

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Football

Also nominated in the same category are the Kenya Rugby Sevens team, Shujaa, Kabras Sugar rugby team, the Roll Ball national team, and FKF Premier League side Kakamega Homeboyz FC.

Kabras Rugby retained the Kenya Cup, defeating KCB RFC 19-9.

Kakamega Homeboyz ended 2023 on a high note by winning the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Cup, following a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Tusker Football Club. The win earned the team a spot to represent Kenya at the CAF Confederation Cup.

In another historic achievement, Roll Ball, a relatively lesser-known sport, became world champions for the first time with a sensational 7-4 victory over hosts India in Pune, India.

Despite challenges faced by Kenya Sevens, including relegation from the World Rugby Sevens Series for the first time in nearly two decades, they defied the odds with a thrilling 17-12 victory over favourites South Africa. This win also secured their qualification for the 2024 Olympics in Paris, France.

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Football

In addition to honoring top performers in various sports in 2023 across 13 categories, the organizers plan to celebrate and recognize past winners since its inception in 2004, as reported by Nation.

The awards, a brainchild of legendary distance runner Paul Tergat, saw visually impaired runner Henry Wanyoike and Catherine “The Great” Ndereba as its first winners.

The 20th-anniversary celebration of the SOYA Awards gala, a black-tie affair, is set for February 23rd in Nairobi County.