Angella Okutuyi bagged the July Sports Journalists Association of Kenya (SJAK) award, making her the only athlete to win the prestigious award on three separate occasions. She first won the award back in January 2021 before repeating the feat again in January this year and she has yet again been named the SJAK athlete of July. The tennis prodigy fended off strong opposition from the Kenyan 100m sensation Ferdinand Omanyala, Faith Kipyegon the double Olympic champion, and Emmanuel Korir who has recently been crowned the 800m champion. Other athletes to earn a nomination to the July gong included Dennis Abukuse who was a vital cog in Menengai Oilers claiming their maiden National Sevens Circuit title, Helen Wawira who bagged gold at the 2022 World Para Powerlifting American Open Championship and Winnie Kanuro Muthoni who won the Africa Youth Chess Championship under-8 title in Lusaka, Zambia. Okutuyi lifted the Wimbledon Girls' Doubles title to write history back in July.

She is the first ever Kenyan player to win any Grand Slam Tournament. Okutuyi was elated as ever to win the award which added her name to the books of history. “I feel very happy and proud to have won this award three times. It is not something easy and I want to thank everyone for their recognition. I am really pleased and despite having been here before, it is a new feeling every time. I want to dedicate this to Tennis Kenya, my coaches, my family, and more so my grandmother who has been there through thick and thin,” said Okutuyi. in addition to winning the SJAK July award, she also received an n LG Nanocell TV worth Sh120,000 and a trophy engraved to her name. 

She is on a path to becoming the next Serena Williams or Venus Williams or even better still, a better version of a combination of both of them. She is one of the few alongside Ferdinand Omanyala and Julius Yego who have ventured and thrived into other sports which are traditionally not perceived to be Kenyan sports. Kenya is best known in the long distance races and the marathon competition but Ferdinand Omayala now holds the record as the fastest man in Africa as he holds the African 100m record, Julius Yego also holds the African javelin record and now Angella Okutuyi's star is shining bright in the tennis sport.

(image by: AFP)