21st .February. 2016

This year’s Safaricom International Jazz Festival started with a bang with three time Grammy Award winning Branford Marsalis gracing our stage on the 21st of February 2016. He wasn’t the only act, with additional performances from Jef Neve, Giampaolo Nuti & Francesco D’Orazio, Maya Beltsitzman & Matan Ephrat, Sons of Kemmet & Siya Makuzeni. We were also proud to bring back Kunle Ayo, AfroSync & Edward Parseen and the Different Faces Band.

Kenyan pacemaker Gideon Kipketer won the men's race in an all-East African clean sweep of the podium by setting a new course record in the 13th Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon on Sunday.
Kipketer, who started the race as a pace-setter, decided to continue till the end after taking over the sole lead midway through the return leg of the race and stopped the clock at 2:08:35, shaving almost a full second off the 2013 record of 2:09:32 set by Ugandan Jackson Kiprop.
Kipketer, who won USD 56,000, including the bonus for breaking the course record worth USD 15,000, was followed home in second place by Ethiopia's Seboka Dibaba in 2:09:20 and Marius Kimutai of Kenya (2:09:39).

Last year's Virgin Money London Marathon champion Eliud Kipchoge will take on 2014 champion Wilson Kipsang when the two Kenyans face each other in this year’s IAAF Gold Label Road Race on Sunday 24 April, organisers announced on Tuesday (19).
Kipchoge beat two-time champion Kipsang by just five seconds in a thrilling sprint finish at the end of last year’s 35th race, with fellow Kenyan and world record-holder Dennis Kimetto left trailing in their wake in third place.
Kipchoge’s winning time of 2:04:42 was just outside Kipsang’s course record of 2:04:29 set in 2014. The 2003 world 5000m champion went on to win the Berlin Marathon last September in a personal best of 2:04:00.
He is now sixth on the world all-time list for the distance behind Kimetto’s historic best of 2:02:57 and Kipsang’s former world record of 2:03:23.
Kimetto also returns to London in 2016 hoping to improve on his third place last year. Stanley Biwott is the fourth outstanding Kenyan in the field, running in London for the fourth time after finishing fourth last year, second in 2014 and eighth in 2013.
Biwott should be full of confidence after an impressive victory at the 2015 TCS New York City Marathon.
With Rio 2016 Olympic places to be won, there will be even more at stake for the Kenyan runners in 2016 when the quartet toe the London start line again in pursuit of one of world running’s most prestigious prizes.
“It was fantastic to win the Virgin Money London Marathon last year against one of the greatest fields ever assembled in marathon running,” said Kipchoge.
“This year I will come back to London to compete again with the world's best athletes," he added. "I will work hard to defend my title in London and, together with Wilson, Dennis, Stanley and those from other countries, make it a fast and wonderful race. I want to thank the organisation for again bringing the best athletes in marathon running together in London, it's great for our sport."
Kipchoge’s superb record of five wins and one second place from six marathon starts since 2013 will make him the marginal favourite. But the elite men’s field contains the top five finishers from 2015, five men who have run the 26.2-mile distance faster than 2:05:00, and 16 who have finished quicker than 2:10:00.

Kenya Premier League 2015 Most Valuable Player Michael Olunga is off to Sweden if Djurgårdens IF Fotboll Football Director Bosse Andersson words is to be taken into account.

While speaking to football direct, Swede’s top football portal, Andersson, confirmed that that they had been in talks with Olunga for a long time and was sure the Gor Mahia striker would join them though wasn’t sure when.

Andersson, who described Olunga as an exciting player, confirmed that Olunga was on his way to Sweeden and insisted that they had talked to his club and were working on resolving his visa details.

“He will come here, it's just not clear when. This is a player we have followed for long. We have eyed him for a long time and followed his development,” Andersson said.

Olunga has been the center of attraction since his 2015 heroics both with his club Gor Mahia and the national team. Premier Soccer Side (PSL) Sundowns and Morocco's Raja Casablancar are just of them teams that he has been linked with.

Indian Calcuta League side Kingfisher East Bengal, home to Kenyan coach Sammy Pamzo Omollo had also offered the 2015 KPL MVP a million a month offer but it seems the youngster is focused on joining a European side to continue with his development.

"I personally talked to the boy and discussed the offer but to be honest he wasn't interested. He's a good striker and I wish him all the best," Pamzo told soka in a separate interview.

A successful safaricom sportsman of the year award in Nairobi,KICC had Julius Yego named Kenya's sportsman of the year.

He picked the overall crown following atremendous year in which he became the first kenyan to win a gold medal in a field event at the worlds Athletics.

He achieved that feat at last year's world athletic champion in Beijing, China with a throw of 92.72m.

Aprt from winning the world championships, Yego won in the 2015 Ostarava Golden Spike with a new national record of 86.88m, Three days later, he improved to 87.71 at the Golden Gala in Rome.

Yego was also named the male athlete of the year.

The issue of doping although dominated this graceful event as the star Julius Yego and SOYA founder Paul Tergat weighed in on the doping allegations, saying it was shameful that some runners had opted for shortcuts.

Kenya Sports Personality of the year Awards also known as SOYA AWARDS , are annual national awards given to sports personalities and organizations in Kenya. The awards were initiated in 2004 by Paul Tergat. The awards for ech year are held at the beginning of the following year ( e.g. 2008 awards took place in January 2009).

Awards winners

Overal sports personality of the year Julius "youtube" Yego

Sportsman

1. Julius Yego (Javelin)

2.Asbel Kiprop (Athletics)

3.Geoffrey Kamworor (Athletics)

Sportswoman

1.Hyvin Kiyenge (Athletics)

2.Mercy Moim (Volleyball)

3.Florence Kiplagat (Athletics)

Sports Team of the year Men

1.Gor Mahia (Football)

2.National 15s (Rugby)

3.TelkomOrange

Evergreen Sports Personality of the year

Ezekiel Kemboi

School team of the year Boys

1.Laiser HillAcademy (Rugby)

2.Narok Boys High School (Hockey)

3.St. Peters Chesariky (Volleyball)

School team of the year Girls

1.Sinyolo Girls (Hockey)

2.AIC kosirai (Volleyball)

3.Transzoia Mixed (Hockey)

School Coach of the Year

Kelvin Lugalia of st.Anthony's, Kitale (Hockey)

Most Outstanding Boy of the year

(Schools Category)

David Paristero, Ngolani Secondary School (Javelin)

Most Outstanding Girl of the Year

(Schools category)

Judy Nkatha , shadrack Kimalel (tennis)

Comeback

Lawrence Buyachi (Rugby)

Sportsman with Disability:

1.Onesmus Mutinda (Athletics)

2.Alex komen (Athletics)

3.David Korir (Athletics)