Nairobi Kenya, 2nd November 2022 - Pay-television broadcaster StarTimes Media Kenya, has
partnered with Sports Journalists Association of Kenya (SJAK)) to promote competitive
sportsmanship through the establishment of the Coach of the Month Award.
The partnership is a one-year renewable deal that begins November 2022, seeing StarTimes as
the official sponsors.
StarTimes Media Kenya Chief Executive Officer Mr. Hanson Wang while making the
announcement noted that the StarTimes SJAK Coach of the Month Award is intended to create
the much-needed competitive sporting environment that will motivate team tacticians to raise the
bar for quality coaching.
In the deal, the winning Coach of the month will be walking away with Ksh 100,000, a
StarTimes 55-inch smart television set and a personalized trophy.
“We are re-establishing our partnership with SJAK to reward excellence in sports having had a
similar initiative between 2017 and 2018. StarTimes investment over the period is now over 10
million shillings in monetary and product support,” Wang said.
The noble objective of the monthly award will be to whip up enthusiasm of the coaches across
the country. The growth of different sports disciplines in Kenya through monthly recognition of
individual outstanding performances will therefore go a long way towards adding value to
Kenyan sport.
“As a brand, our commitment here today is that we will continue to invest in mutually beneficial
sports initiatives in our strategic effort to recognize sports excellence and as a way of giving back
to the society we serve through our pay television service,” Wang added.
Wang also noted that Kenyan sports men and women will also go places given the
levelheadedness and grit in the realm of coaching.
SJAK president Chris Mbaisi thanked StarTimes for their generous support towards development
of Kenyan sports, welcoming the company back to SJAK the brand having previously partnered
with SJAK in the introduction of the now vibrant Sports Personality of the Month Award
(SPOM).
"This new StarTimes partnership with SJAK brings good tidings to the sporting fraternity given
that the monthly winner of the award will pocket Ksh. 100,000 as the prize money with a
StarTimes 55-inch digital television to boot. Upon expiry of the deal, StarTimes shall have the
right of first option to renew the Agreement on such terms as may be agreed between the
parties," Mbaisi noted.
"Enhancing sport performance remains an important element of coaching. Athletes need a coach
who can effectively guide their technical, tactical, and physical development to help them
improve at their sport. Coaches play a pivotal role in this regard, we therefore thank StarTimes
for their unswerving efforts which we believe will take sports to the next level," Mbaisi added.
Mbaisi also noted that a panel of sports scribes will be meeting on a monthly basis to select
nominees for the best coaches of which the winner will be picked from.
"The award will reward excellence for a group of people who make all the difference in the field
of play,” he said.
Speaking at the same event, national women’s volleyball team head coach Paul Bitok described
the initiative as a long time coming, predicting that it will motivate Kenyan coaches to work hard
for the good of the game.
“I appreciate all those who came up with the idea to fete coaches for the hard work they do in
developing players. We have seen previous times when teams come back to the country after a
successful outing but it is only the players that are awarded and recognized while the coaches are
forgotten,” Bitok said.
The longstanding coach, who has also tutored in Rwanda, said the newly-crafted award scheme
sends the message that coaches’ work in identifying and nurturing Kenyan talent does not go
unnoticed.
“Being given this award, it will motivate us to keep going. Imagine…if I have managed to win
all these titles with Malkia Strikers through the years with such an incentive, what would happen
when we have such awards to recognize top coaches. As coaches, we promise not to fail you and
to amplify the efforts of StarTimes and SJAK within the sports industry,” Bitok concluded.