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.
During the launch ceremony held on Thursday at LG’s Brand shop in Nairobi, tennis sensational Angela Okutoyi was named the January winner while rally driver youngster MacRae Kimathi was feted as February finest.
For being crowned January and February winners, Okutoyi received an LG Artificially Intelligent washing machine while Kimathi was awarded with a refrigerator.
Rising tennis star Okutoyi scooped the award after beating three other nominees in Daniel Simiyu, who won the Valencia 10k, Shujaa’s Vincent Onyala and middle-distance runner Norah Jeruto.
On the other hand, Junior WRC star Kimathi won the February award after becoming the first event Kenya to finish a rally on snow on WRC Sweden. He finished the WRC3 category in a credible third and fourth in Junior WRC.
LG Marketing Director, Changhyun Kim, had this to say, “We are grateful to have had the opportunity to support SJAK and top tier sports personalities over the last seven years. Within this period, we managed to reward many of the said personalities and empower them in their journey to the top. This year, we think it is wise that we expand this support to sports enthusiasts in our communities and institutions of learning as a way to support and inspire upcoming sports giants across diverse disciplines. We are investing at least Ksh.6.6 million and banking on your support to achieve this at least every quarter.”
SJAK President Chris Mbaisi, had this to say, “For the last seven years LG has demonstrated their support for sports, both on and off the pitch. And together we share an ambition of creating opportunities at all levels and ensuring every aspiring athlete enjoys an enabling environment. We look forward to further developing our relationship over the coming years.”
So far, the SPOM has awarded 12 athletes including world marathon record holder Eliud Kipchoge, basketballer Tylor Onwae Okari, Olympics marathon champion Peres Jepchirchir and Hit Squad boxer Elly Ajowi.