Top sports stories of 2014
1. SuperSport renew Kenyan Premier League deal
Reports of an impending new deal involving international sports broadcasters SuperSport and the Kenyan Premier League could be the best news that ever happened to Kenyan football.
With the top flight league one of the few positive tales to have come out of Kenyan football in recent times, it was a welcome relief to the competition’s administrators when the Government and general public threw their weight behind them.
2. Volleyballers Wacu, Moim go professional
It had been a long time coming for Kenyan volleyballers to spread their wings across the borders. This has been such a year for Kenyan internationals including captain Praxides Agala, Jane Wacu and Mercy Moim.
Wacu and Agala, who previously turned out for Kenya Prisons , now feature for French team Chamalieres Club, while attacker Moim is living large in Finland where she turns up for top tier side Liiga Ploki.
Their success story is a sign of development for Kenyan volleyball girls and a tangible source of inspiration for local players.
3. Kimetto shutters world marathon record
Dennis Kimetto added his name to the list of successful athletes when he shuttered the marathon record this year in the Berlin marathon in with a 2:02:57, which was almost a minute of the previous record set by his compatriot Wilson Kipsang.
4. Wanyama continues to inspire for Kenya
Victor Wanyama’s promising career hit a new high this season where he exhibited a renewed appetite for goal at Southampton as a defensive midfielder with his current club.
He has scored three league goals so far this year, and has been consistently impressive throughout the season to a point where he is considered talented enough to be linked with a move to tops clubs such as Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool and Juventus.
5. National hockey team shines at continental club tournament
Telkom Orange overcame stiff competition from nine teams to retain the title in this year’s Hockey Africa Cup of Club Championship in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, a result that effectively overshadowed the unsatisfactory performance of the men’s team in the tournament.
6. Water Queens claim East African club title
Nairobi Water team were in the limelight this year where they were crowned regional queens in the recently concluded East and Central African Handball Club championships that were held at the Nyayo Stadium courts.
The Water queens took the mantle from 2013 champions Police DRC, who had failed to turn up to defend their title.
7. National volleyball team receives sponsorship
Despite being the continental queens, national volleyball team had gone for years without a sponsor thus severely undermining the team’s chances of conquering the world. Thus it came as exciting news when the National Oil Corporation stepped in and announced a Shs42 million sponsorship spanning three years.
This is bound to go a long way in improving the lives of the national team players, and it leaves them in a comfortable place as they embark on preparations othe upcoming Women World Grand Prix, All Africa Games and the 2016 Rio Olympics.