Basketball ace Okari bags Sports Personality award

Kenya men’s national basketball team player Tyler Okari has bagged the Sports Personality of the month award for June.

Okari was instrumental as Kenya Morans made history by winning the Zone Five African Games qualifiers that were held in Kampala, Uganda at the end of last month.

His exploits saw him voted the competition’s Most Valuable Player as Kenya qualified for next month’s African Games set to be held in Morocco, after defeating Egypt on their way to clinching the gong, for the first time.

For his exploits, Okari received a StarTimes 43 inch digital television set and Sh100,000 prize money.

“I am delighted to receive this award, special thanks to Sports Journalists Association of Kenya and the sponsors for recognizing what we do on the field. This is a good belated birthday gift for me and I hope it will spur me to greater things,” he noted Okari.

He edged out Kenya Sevens player Andrew Amonde, who helped Shujaa avoid relegation during the season ending Paris Sevens, Charles Mneria Yosei, who bagged silver in the half marathon at the inaugural Africa Beach Games held in Sal, Cape Verde, men’s doubles beach tennis team of Fazal Khan and Ibrahim Yego who won bronze at the same event, and the volleyball pair of Gaudencia Makokha and Naomie Too, who also went home with bronze during the same competition.

The shooting guard, who plays professionally for Bakken Bears in Denmark, will be hoping to extend his good form to the Fiba Afrobasket Championship that starts this weekend in Bamako, Mali. Morans will feature in the week-long competition as they prepare for next month’s continental games.

Okari becomes the 24th recipient of the award with notable winners including World marathon record holder Eliud Kipchoge. World 5000 champion Helen Obiri, Paralympian Vincent Mutai, Telkom hockey forward Jackline Mwangi, swimmer Maria Brunhelner, chess player Sasha Mongeli, rally driver Manvir Baryan, boxer Judy Waguthi among others.