Previous SOYA awards ceremony. PHOTO/MO Sound Events
NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan 4 – Organizers for this year’s Sports Personality of the Year Awards (SOYA) on Friday received a massive boost with a sponsorship perk from two companies worth Sh3.8mn.
The Communications Authority of Kenya presented a sponsorship worth Sh3mn towards the event to be staged at Fort Jesus in Mombasa on January 11 while Multichoice Kenya topped that up with a further Sh750,000.
“Communications Authority is a proud partner of this initiative for the past 9 years. We believe in the spirit of sportsmanship. We also acknowledge the role sports plays in Kenya and the great effort our sportsmen and women put in to excel,” Communications Authority Director for Frequency Spectrum Management, Tom Olwero said.
“We wish to see more and more sports personalities come up as we nurture and grow this discipline. Over the years, we have seen young boys and girls recognized under the Most Promising category go on to win medals at major international events. This does not only show that Kenya has abundant talent but it is possible to identify such talent at an early age and cheer them on to success,” he added.
On his part, SOYA brand ambassador, Douglas Wakihuri, acknowledged the support corporates like CA give towards feting our sports heros and heroines.
“We celebrate these partnerships as we celebrate these ambassadors of our country for their exemplary performance,” said an elated Wakihuri.
Meanwhile, for the 10th year in a row, SuperSport and MultiChoice Kenya have also splashed out sponsorship for the event.
GOtv Kenya General Manager Simon Kariithi reassured the event organizers of MultiChoice Kenya’s commitment to promote sports in the country as well as the need to put DStv, GOtv customers at the heart of everything MultiChoice Kenya does.
“SOYA is a strategic fit for both DStv and GOtv brands because the business understands that sports entertainment is a powerful way to tell stories that open our minds, bring people together around shared passions, and connect us to new realities. We are proud to be associated with the leading sport personalities who proudly fly the Kenyan flag high across the world,” said Kariithi.
This year’s gala sponsored by Safaricom Limited, Mombasa County, Communications Authority of Kenya (CA), Kenya Power (KPLC), Multichoice Kenya, Kenya Ports Authority (KPA), National Social Security Fund (NSSF), Kenya Pipeline Corporation (KPC), New KCC and LapFund.
