Audio By Vocalize
Kenyan fencer Alexander Ndolo in a past event. [File, Standard]
The final shortlist for the 2025 Sports Personality of the Year (SOYA) Sportswoman and man of the Year features a prestigious lineup of elite athletes who dominated the international stage.
The winners will be feted at the 2025 SOYA gala night that will be held at the Uhuru Gardens.
Fencer Alexendra Ndolo, runners Beatrice Chebet, Faith Kipyegon, Faith Cherotich and Lilian Odira are in the race for the women’s award.
While the women’s list is dominated by athletics stars, the men’s final five is a mix of sportsmen from various disciplines. Kenya Morans small forward Albert Odero, Harambee Stars striker Ryan Ogam, golfer Njoroge Kibugu, marathoner Sebastian Sawe and 800m sensation Emmanuel Wanyonyi are lined up for the coveted award.
As Kenya’s pioneer fencer, Ndolo has become the face of African fencing.
In 2025, she successfully defended her African Championship title in Lagos, Nigeria, after defeating Egyptian Nardin Ehab 13-7 to secure her third straight continental crown. She remained dominant on the piste to improve her rankings to first in Africa and 19th globally.
Chebet enjoyed a very successful 2025, achieving a rare double at the 2025 World Championships held in Tokyo, Japan. She secured gold in both the 10,000m (30:37.61) and 5,000m (14:54.26), dethroning teammate Faith Kipyegon in the latter. She made history as the first woman to simultaneously hold Olympic and World titles alongside world records in two different races.
Kipyegon, a legendary middle-distance runner, continued her reign of consistency by securing a fourth 1,500m World title in Tokyo in a time of 3:52.15. Earlier in the season she had lowered her own 1,500m world record at the Eugene Diamond League, further cementing her status as the most decorated athlete in the history of the event.
Steeplechaser Cherotich captured the World title in Tokyo after beating the then defending champion Winfred Yavi in a Championship Record of 8:51.59. After victory at the Zurich Diamond League, “Small Faith” ended the year ranked world number one.
Odira, on the other hand, delivered one of the season’s biggest upsets in the 800m. She defeated both the World and Olympic champions while shattering a 42-year-old championship record. Her time of 1:54.46 makes her the second-fastest Kenyan woman in history, trailing only Pamela Jelimo.
Wanyonyi leads the charge in the men’s race following a very successful 2025 where he shattered a Championship Record in Tokyo with a blistering 1:41.86. He faces stiff competition from marathoner Sawe, who dominated both the Londan and Berlin marathons. Sawe, the World Athletics Out of Stadia Athlete of the Year, clocked 2:02.27 and 2:02.16 to win the London and Berlin Marathons respectively.
Kibugu, the breakthrough star of the Sunshine Development Tour, secured a hat-trick of titles, including the Betika Masters, and moved nearly 2000 places up the world rankings to 1,608th. Ogam also had a great year and was exceptional for Kenya in CHAN and the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
Basketball star Odero had a good year with the Nairobi City Thunder with his contribution helping the Premier League champions beat Johannesburg Giants to lift the Basketball Africa League (BAL) Elite 16 East Division trophy.