For many years now, Kenya had largely remained unappreciative of the exemplary series of performances in various sports disciplines by her sportsmen/women. Indeed, the government policy had been that Kenyan sportsmen/women did not need any appreciation, recognition or financial rewards as when they participated or competed in any sports on behalf of the country; they did so for the love of the sport as amateurs and patriotism to their motherland.
That is why, in some sports like athletics, the apex organization that used to organize the sport in Kenya, until recently, was called Kenya Amateur Athletics Association (KAAA). The policy was understandable since in those days, most of the outstanding sportsmen/women were from the country’s disciplined forces and other government institutions hence were perceived to be doing their duty to the nation.
Despite the lack of coherent policy, a while back ago, individual sportsmen/women, who had excelled in the various fields during the pervious 12 months, were recognized for their efforts. They were showered with gifts and presents with the most outstanding being crowned the reigning champion in an award gala, an event dubbed as The Sportsman/woman of the Year Awards.
The outstanding sportsman/woman of the year was the one who, in the opinion of eminent sports journalists and their peers, had brought not only fame to the motherland, but also had made many Kenyans proud in the course of the past year
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