Para-rower Asiya Sururu among five nominees in 2023 SOYA Sports Woman Living With Disabilities

Kenyan para-rower Asiya Sururu is among the top five nominees shortlisted for the 2023 Sports Personality of the Year Awards (SOYA) under the Sports Woman Living With Disability category ahead of the annual gala scheduled for February 23 in Nairobi County.

Sururu became the first Kenyan to qualify for rowing at the Paralympics in October 2019 in Tunisia ahead of the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. She has since also qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games where she intends to make a mark in the global bonanza.

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She qualified after her dominant exploits to win the PR1 women's single sculls at the World Rowing African Continental Olympic and Paralympic Qualification Regatta.

Nancy Chelangat Koech, a visually impaired Paralympic athlete, has also been nominated owing to her great form last season.

The Kericho-based athlete flew the county’s flag high by scooping a gold medal after winning the Women’s 1,500-meter T11 race in a time of 4:46.55 at the World Para Athletics Championships.

The World Para Athletics Championships is the second most important sporting event in the disabled sports calendar after the Paralympic Games and is held every two years with this year’s tournament bringing together 1,330 athletes from 107 nations.

Ruth Chemurgor from Kapsabet has also made it to the list. Her nomination was after she threw 21.71m to break her own African and Championships hammer records, set in 2019, which stood at 20.60m at the second edition of Africa Deaf Athletics Championships held last year in Nairobi.

Others who have made the cut to the list of nominees include Purity Chepkirui Kandie (Special Olympics) and Jane Ndegwa (Wheel Chair Tennis).