Para athletes going for top Soya honours

The stage is set for the Sports Persons Living with Disabilities during the SOYA Awards set for January 24 amidst a protracted battle among various nominees who starred at the international scene.

In a nutshell, the para-athletics scene is awash with stars who are angling to inscribe their names in the annals of SOYA history after excelling in Morocco last year.

Among them is Samuel Mushai Kimani who successfully defended his 5,000m T11 title in the World Para Athletics championship in Dubai when he won the race in 15:45.32 seconds aided by James Boit.

Mushai also stole the thunder when he clinched a silver medal in the 1,500m T11 race in 4 minutes 08.47 seconds.

The world champion also won silver in the1,500m T11 race in 4:13.14 seconds during the Fourth International Para Athletics Championship in Morocco.

Also in the fray is Vincent Mutai who won three gold medals in the Africa extravaganza. He claimed the T46 long jump gold with a mark of 6.36m, the 200m in 23.93 seconds and the 100m where he timed 11.89 seconds.

Another aspirant for the top honours is speed machine Felix Kipruto who won a gold in the T46 800m race in a minute 57.41seconds during the same event and went on to bag a bronze in the 1,500m in 4:01.58 seconds.

With para-athletics fans keeping their fingers crossed waiting who will bag the top prize, Wilson Bii will also be in the groove.

Among Bii’s accolades is winning a gold medal in the T11 1,500m race in 4:13.06 seconds as well as a silver in the 5,000m race in 15:54.81 seconds in the continental showcase.

Away from the track, James Mang’erere will betraying his luck after winning  the F57javelin throw with a mark of 37.23 minutes.

The women’s category is also hotly contested and top in the list of nominees is Nancy Chelang’at Koech who deified odds to win a bronze medal in 1,500m T11 race aided by Geoffrey Rotich, where she clocked 4.56.28 seconds.