Okutoyi, McRae named January and February Sports personality of the month

Tennis ace, Angela Okutoyi opens the Sports Journalists Association of Kenya (SJAK) monthly awards, scooping the January award for her stellar show at the Australian Open.

The teenage sensation also became the first Kenyan woman to win a Grand Slam match when she defeated Italy’s Federica Urgesi in the first round of her maiden appearance in a tennis major.

After slicing past the first round, the African U-18 tennis champion extended her history streak as she aced her way against Australia’s Zara Larke in round two before her fairytale run was unfortunately curtailed in the third round by Serbia’s Lola Radivojevic who agonizingly defeated her in straight sets just one round before the quarter-final stages.

Okutoyi speaking on zoom said, “January was such a good month for Kenyan Tennis and myself after I won a match at the Australian Grand Slam. We have come from far and I am proud to have lifted the Kenyan flag high."

On his part, Kenya's sensational rally driver McRae Kimathi won the February award for finishing fourth in the Junior World Rally Championship (WRC) category in Rally Sweden. Kimathi and his compatriot Mwangi Kioni made history by becoming the first Kenyans and African crew to finish WRC Rally Sweden.

“The award goes a long way in motivating young and upcoming sports personalities to realise their potential in sport. It also fuels one’s passion to give more to the sport. I now feel motivated ahead of my busy calendar starting with Croatia Rally where I will compete in the Junior WRC, Pearl of Uganda, ARC Equator Rally and round up with the WRC Safari Rally,” McRae, who was flanked by his dad Phineas, a retired Rally driver said.

LG Electronics East Africa has announced a new one-year sponsorship deal for the Sports Personality of the Month Award (SPOM) through to December 2022. The renewal comes as LG and Sports Journalists Association of Kenya (SJAK) celebrate seven years since the electronics appliance giant first partnered with the sports scribes body in 2015.