Elfyn Evans made major strides towards his second Secto Rally Finland triumph with a masterful attack through Saturday’s penultimate leg.
The Rally is being broadcast live on KBC Channel One and two more session are set to be televised tomorrow Sunday. Between 9.00am to 10.00am,East African Time, the Himos-Jamsa stage will be shown with the loop of the same stage being televised between 1.00PM-2.00PM East African Time.
Rain showers early in the day played to the Welshman’s favour and, while Thierry Neuville grappled with wheel spin in the wet conditions, Evans excelled.
Elfyn Evans was fastest on seven out of eight gravel road stages in the lightning-fast Finnish forests to transform what started as a 6.9sec buffer into a commanding 32.1sec stronghold in a Toyota GR Yaris, leaving Hyundai i20 N rival Thierry Neuville trailing in his wake.
Evans was equally at home in the repeated afternoon loop where the drying gravel roads became increasingly rutted.
With championship leader Kalle Rovanpera already sidelined by a crash on Friday, victory at this ninth WRC round is essential for Evans – currently second in the points – to keep his fading title hopes alive.
Although Neuville struggled to get his i20’s set-up completely dialled in with the changeable conditions, the Belgian was consistently quicker than the remainder of the field.
Toyota man Takamoto Katsuta, his closest challenger, lagged almost one minute behind. Katsuta dropped behind Hyundai’s Teemu Suninen after spinning in Paijala but reclaimed the final podium spot in SS15.
He yielded the position again in the following test but surged back in front by posting a benchmark time through the Vekkula finale.
The pair were split by 6.4sec at close of play. Toyota team principal Jari-Matti Latvala was fifth, two minutes further back.
The 38-year-old, who is making his first WRC start since February 2020, overshot a junction in SS17 but relished the chance to drive on his home roads.
Jasmeet Chana aka Iceman emerged the winner in Eldoret Rally to extend his lead in the 9-leg Kenya National Rally Championship (KNRC) by a massive 67 points.
After five rounds of brilliant displays in Machakos, Voi, Nakuru and Naivasha, Iceman and his elder brother Ravi Chana have amassed 146points in the drivers’ and codrivers’ championships respectively.
In winning Eldoret round, Jasmeet also scored 2 bonus championship points after finishing second in the power stage behind Jeremiah Wahome.
Jasmeet completed a rare double in winning the B-13 Class in his second career KNRC win after his first in Nakuru.
Old boy Ian Duncan came second overall in Eldoret after finishing third in the event’s Power Stage which was third run of the 17.14km Bugar stage.
Jeremiah Wahome and Victor Okundi in a Ford Fiesta Rally 3 sealed the podium dash in 01:23:55.8hours followed by McRae Kimathi and Mwangi Kioni also in a Ford Fiesta clocking 01:26:01.2.
Jeremiah also took a double in winning the Rally 3 category.
Youngsters Rajveer Thethy navigated by Wayne Fernandes in a Subaru Impreza clocked 01:29:11.1 to finish fifth overall.
Sixth was Kush Patel and his partner Mudasar Chaudry in a Subaru Impreza in 01:30.33.0 hours.
Jasmeet was all smiles after victory and here’s is what he had to say: “I would firstly thank Rubis Energy for supporting me and believing in me. My wife and brothers for the support and my crew. We went into this rally to consolidate our points make sure the gap stays open.”
Jasmeet continued: “The car ran smoothly with no issues. Just after stage , I decided to change the set up on the suspension. We were 2nd on the power stage which is good for the our points tally. Our strategy is to rack up as many points as possible considering the fact that you don’t need to win a rally to win a championship.”
Mcrae Kimathi on his part noted: “It was a muddy event. First stage was slippery for our car. But we gradually increased our pace and savoured a lovely battle with my teammate until he pipped me in the last stage. Otherwise fun event.”
Hamza Anwar was an early pacesetter; winning the first four stages and retiring on the repeat run of the fifth at Kendur.
After Hamza’s retirement, his teammate Jeremiah won the next two stages at Kendur2 and Bulgar 3 whose third run served as the power stage.
Kush Patel, Karan Patel’s younger sibling, won the S Class in sixth overall position.
Jose Sardinha won the SPV (Specially Prepared Vehicles) Class driving a Mitsubishi Pajero.
Jose came seventh overall followed by Sam Karangatha who won the Two Wheel Drive class.
12-time Kenyan Premier League champions Tusker FC unveiled five new players ahead of the 2023/24 Football Kenya Federation Premier League season.
Tusker announced the acquisition of Joseph Mwangi, James Kibande, Fabian Adikiny, and Ugandan John Byamukama, while goalkeeper Edwin Simiyu has been promoted from the Youth Team.
Mwangi, 26, arrives at Ruaraka from Nzoia Sugar where he has played for the last four seasons, after signing from Nyahururu’s Griffons. The forward was one of Nzoia’s stand out performers last season having scored 14 goals and provided assists for seven others for the Bungoma based Nzoia which finished in third place.
“I am delighted to join Tusker FC. This is a big club and when the opportunity finally opened to come here, I couldn’t think twice. I have been training with them for the last week and I have been welcomed well. I already feel at home, and I am ready to give my best for the jersey,” noted Mwangi.
He moves to Ruaraka alongside Kibande, 25, who returned to Nzoia Sugar on loan from Kenya Police FC in mid-season. Kibande had joined Police at the start of the season but opted for a return to Nzoia midway through in search of playing time. He had joined the sugar millers straight from St. Anthony’s High School, Kitale, in 2018.
In the second half of last season, Kibande played 15 games for Nzoia, scoring five goals. In total the entire season, he played 19 games, having featured only four times in his short stint with Police.
“I look at this as a fresh challenge in my career. Tusker is a team with ambitions, and you can see from how they have been performing over the last few seasons. It will offer me a challenge to also step up and do well. My target is to help the team win trophies this season,” Kibande added.
Midfielder Adikiny, 22, arrives from Murang’a Seal, where he actively played a massive role in helping the team earn a promotion to the FKF Premier League. He had previously featured for Muhoroni Youth as a Schoolboy in 2017 before moving to Murang’a.
“It is a big step in my career, and I need to challenge myself to work harder. This is a massive team with huge demands, and I feel I am ready to take on the opportunity. I have felt comfortable and at home so far and I am looking forward to the new season,” Adikiny noted.
The team has also added a second Ugandan into the fray, with the signing of midfielder “Toki” Byamukama from Gaddafi FC.
“This is my first time outside Uganda and I am delighted to be at Tusker. If you ask anyone in Uganda about the big clubs in Kenya, they will always mention Tusker FC. It is a well-known club there of course because of the success some players have had here,” the midfielder noted.
He added; “I want to continue in that line of heritage too and do well for this club.”
Byamukama started his career with Bumate FC in the FUFA Big League, the second tier of Ugandan football, before joining Tooro United and ultimately Express FC. He spent the second half of last season with Gaddafi.
Meanwhile, keeper Edwin Simiyu has joined a list of players to be promoted from the Tusker Youth team to the senior team. He follows in the footsteps of Eric Zakayo, John Njuguna, and the latest one being Collins ‘Kante’ Otieno who was promoted last year.
“Kante’s promotion motivated me because we joined the Youth Team at the same time, and we spent much time together. It showed me that with hard work, you can achieve anything,” Simiyu, 23, and the senior-most player on the Junior side stated.
He added; “For me, this is a testament that patience pays. I have been patient since I joined the team in 2019 and I knew my chance would come one day. I am delighted that it has finally come. Training with Matasi (Patrick) and Bwire (Brian) and then coaching by Dunco (Duncan Ochieng) who have been regulars on the national team always motivated me. They pushed me and gave me advice and I can say it is because of them that I am here today.”
From Left to Right – Newly signed Tusker FC players Fabien Adikiny, James Kibade, Edwin Simiyu, John Byamukama and Joseph Mwangi during their official unveil at Ruaraka Grounds
At the same time, the club has confirmed that skipper Humphrey Mieno, midfielders Jackson Macharia and Shami Mwinyi, goalkeeper Michael Wanjala, and defenders Kalos Kirenge and Kevin Monyi have all left the club at the end of their contracts.
Also leaving the club is South Sudanese striker David Majak.
Meanwhile, Charles Momanyi and Ugandan forward Deogratious Ojok have both extended their contracts and will stay at Ruaraka for one more year.
In the same breath, Momanyi has been named the new club captain and will be assisted by Brian Bwire and Michael Kibwage.
Speaking during the unveiling of the new players, Tusker FC Head Coach Robert Matano expressed confidence with the new additions to his side, noting the move will strengthen his squad ahead of the new season.
“I am delighted by the new players that we have included in the team. I am certain they are the right profile of players we need to take the club’s performance a level higher and hopefully, they can help us win trophies next season. Our next step is now to integrate them into the team, ensuring they understand our playing philosophy and what we are trying to achieve, and I am certain they can move us forward,” said Matano.
On his part, Tusker Brand’s Ag. Marketing Manager Lennox Mwalea said; “We are pleased with Tusker FC’s continued top performances, which has cemented it as one of the best clubs in the region. As such, we are delighted to continue supporting the club in the best way possible to ensure they are well equipped to remain competitive and maintain its position at the very top. Today, we are pleased to have acquired these top players that have been carefully selected by our technical and scouting departments. They will, without a doubt, bolster our team and ensure continued success this season and beyond.”
Tusker FC is set to kick off the new season on 26th August 2023 against Mombasa-based Bandari FC. Tusker Fc was piped to the league title last season by Gor Mahia by a single point.
Japan took a step closer to a second Women’s World Cup title when they beat Norway 3-1 to reach the quarter-finals.
The 2011 champions made the ideal start when Norway defender Ingrid Engen turned Hinata Miyazawa’s cross into her own net.
However, Norway equalised a few minutes later when Guro Reiten headed home.
Risa Shimizu’s heavily defected strike restored Japan’s lead before Hinata Miyazawa raced through to score a third and seal her side’s progress.
The goal cemented Japan’s place in the quarter-finals and kept Miyazawa on target for the Golden Boot – she leads the scoring charts in Australia and New Zealand on five.
“I am really happy to have scored the goal but it is because all of the team worked for that,” she said. “I want to score more.”
Norway were second best for much of the game but almost set up an exciting finish when goalkeeper Ayaka Yamashita superbly kept out Karina Saevik’s bullet header.
Japan will play either defending champions the United States or Sweden in the last eight.
“The team is very positive, kept up the pace and I think we have become tougher than before,” Japan coach Futoshi Ikeda said.
250 golfers are expected to take part in the 10th round of NCBA Golf Series which will be held Saturday at the par -71 Muthaiga Golf Club, Nairobi.
The event follows the ninth leg played at the Royal Nairobi Golf Club a fortnight ago that attracted an impressive field of 249 golfers. Scratch golfer John Odhiambo emerged as the overall winner of the tournament with an impressive score of 76 gross.
He fended off stiff competition from fellow golfers, including Joseph Oballa (HCP 7) whose return of 78 gross earned him the Men’s Gross category win. Among the ladies, Diana Mbuba, playing off handicap 7, claimed the top spot with an impressive score of 80 gross, after countback.
The Nett Categories saw Yash Goel, playing off handicap 24, emerging as the winner among the Men with an impressive score of 66 nett, while Hellen Musalia, playing off handicap 36, claimed the top spot among the women with a score of 69 nett.
In the Juniors category, Joshua Kounah, playing off handicap 30, showcased his immense talent and emerged as the winner with a remarkable score of 66 nett.
The series that kicked off in March has so far attracted 1,800 golfers across different golf clubs in the country. The series aims to promote the sport of golf across the East African region as the bank also seeks to forge stronger connections with its customers.
Speaking ahead of the tournament, NCBA Group Managing Director John Gachora expressed confidence that the event will be a success, noting: “Muthaiga Golf Club is a special golf course as it is challenging, yet enjoyable and therefore golfers are sure to have a good time. This week’s tournament has attracted well over 200 top amateur golfers and we therefore anticipate exciting action on the course,” said Gachora.
“Our aim as NCBA is to have a series that not only showcases the talent of our local golfers but also provides a fun and engaging experience for everyone involved. We believe that the NCBA Golf Series is a unique and exciting platform that will inspire the next generation of golfers and contribute to the growth of the sport in the region,” he added.
France international defender Axel Disasi has joined Chelsea from Monaco on a six-year contract for 45m euros (£38.57m).
Disasi, 25, offers defensive cover at Stamford Bridge after Wesley Fofana sustained a serious knee injury.
He played in all 38 of Monaco’s Ligue 1 games last season.
“I am really proud to be able to be a part of this great family,” Disasi told Chelsea’s website.
“I hope to achieve very big things here. To win titles. I will do everything I can to achieve those objectives. I am very ambitious.”
The Blues, meanwhile, have agreed a fee with Brighton for goalkeeper Robert Sanchez, while several bids for the Spaniard’s team-mate Moises Caicedo have been rejected by the Seagulls.
Disasi has played four times for France, including featuring as a substitute in the 2022 World Cup final defeat against Argentina, and made 129 appearances for Monaco after joining from Stade de Reims in August 2020.
The centre-back becomes Chelsea’s sixth signing of the summer following the acquisitions of Christopher Nkunku, Nicolas Jackson, Lesley Ugochukwu, Angelo Gabriel and Diego Moreira, as new manager Mauricio Pochettino continues to put his stamp on the squad.
Disasi will compete with fellow central defenders Thiago Silva, Trevoh Chalobah, and Levi Colwill – who signed a new deal on 2 August – for a starting berth, while compatriot Benoit Badiashile will miss the start of the Premier League season with a hamstring injury and Fofana is expected to be sidelined for several months after damaging his anterior cruciate ligament.
“I can’t wait to feel the energy of the fans,” Disasi added.
“The fervour of the fans in the Premier League, the atmosphere, the intensity of the games – it is something that excites me.”
Chelsea’s pre-season fixtures concluded on Sunday with a 1-1 draw against Borussia Dortmund in Chicago – ending their US tour undefeated – and the focus now turns to their opening Premier League game of 2023-24 at home to Liverpool on 13 August.
Pochettino has been tasked with overhauling the squad while also trying to vastly improve on last season’s 12th-place finish in the Premier League.
Fifa is investigating an official complaint that Zambia head coach Bruce Mwape sexually assaulted a player at the Women’s World Cup.
Mwape is accused of rubbing his hands over the chest of one of his players during a training session in New Zealand on 29 July.
“A complaint has been received,” a Fifa spokesperson said.
But the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) said “it has not received any such complaint” and it is a “surprise”.
The alleged incident is said to have taken place during a training session two days before their final group match against Costa Rica, which Zambia won 3-1 for their first victory at a World Cup.
Fifa’s spokesperson added: “Fifa takes any allegation of misconduct extremely seriously and has a clear process in place for anyone in football who wants to report an incident.”
Zambia have returned home, having been eliminated after finishing third in Group C.
“All the training sessions for the Copper Queens [Zambia] were filmed by the FAZ media team and offers no such footage,” the FAZ said.
“Additionally, a Fifa film crew attached to the Zambian team at the World Cup was present at all training sessions.
“We, however, wish to reassure the public that FAZ maintains the highest standards of integrity and transparency and always demands unwavering ethical conduct of the players and officials on and off the field of play.
“We therefore would not hesitate to take disciplinary measures and act on any misconduct once we are in receipt of an official complaint or when presented with evidence pertaining to an alleged incident.”
A New Zealand police spokesperson said: “We were made aware of an alleged incident and after making initial enquiries, no further action was required to be taken.”
Sexual abuse allegations against Mwape, who took charge in 2018, also emerged last year on social media. The FAZ said at the time that it had received no official complaint, but had opened an investigation, adding that “we consider these allegations very serious”.
Mwape was repeatedly asked about those allegations at the World Cup but he denied any wrongdoing and insisted they were “fake”.
Blue Economy and fisheries PS, Betsy Njani was today put to task by the Public Investment Committee on the delay of operationalization of Kenya Fishing Marketing Authority (KFMA) and the Kenya Fishing Industry Cooperation (KEFIC).
The legislators also queried spending of the two parastatals allocations yet the two organizations are yet to be operationalized. Officials from the Blue Economy department defended themselves saying the spending were routed to the parent ministry and could be accounted for.
“We have been constrained in terms of budget, procurement and also Human resource that is why the parastatals have not been operational.”Said Njani.
The PS told parliament that the two parastatals that were formed in 2018 were yet to start operations due to limited resources and staffing of the organizations are still ongoing.
Njagi assured parliament that the country is not currently importing fish from china as the government is seeking to curtail fish imports as it completes its fish projects across the country.
This PS says would protect local fishermen from cheap imports. Among the fish projects the government has earmarked for completion in this financial year include the 1.8 billion shillings Liwatoni fisheries complex. The government is also setting up Shimoni Port in Kwale and Lamu Fish port to shore up deep sea fishing and increase local fish production.
Njagi added that the national government will be holding consultative meetings with county governments to reduce levies on local fish in a bid to reduce the cost of fish production. In a raft of measures to increase the sub sector’s production, PS Njagi told parliament , fishermen will be aggregated to form cooperatives , to assist fishermen enjoy economy of scales and have access to fishing equipment and gear at a subsidized price.
“What we are trying to do is empower the local fishermen by organizing cooperatives and providing gear for them. We will also try to develop markets especially in Lake Victoria and the Coastal region, “she said.
Double Olympic and World Champion Faith Kipyegon is the LG/SJAK Sports Personality for the Month of July 2023.
Kipyegon was awarded for sensationally breaking the women’s Mile World Record at the Monaco Diamond League on July 21, 2023, winning the race in a new 4:07.64 mark in an extraordinary display of consistency and focus.
The Kaptagat-based track star chipped nearly five seconds off the previous World Record of 4:12.33 also set in Monaco by Dutch athlete Sifan Hassan, in 2019. For the feat, Kipyegon was awarded with an LG 55” NanoCell TV retailing at KES.118,000.
It was a back-to-back LG/SJAK award for Kipyegon who had been rewarded last month for shattering the women’s 1,500m World Record at the Florence Diamond League on June 2 and following it up with a 5,000m fastest time at the Paris leg on June 9.
“This award is another huge motivation especially as I prepare to represent the country at the Budapest World Championships. I could not imagine that I would secure another award a month after being recognized by LG and SJAK. I am thankful for the award and I promise to do more,” Kipyegon, who will double the 1,500m and 5,000m races at the upcoming World Championships (August 19-27), said.
Kipyegon ran a remarkable race in Monaco, destroying a strong field as she extended her record-breaking streak in the Diamond League circuit.
At the Monaco Diamond League race, she locked into the world-record pace from the start before relaxing into an easy rhythm for three laps and charging to the finish line at a super speed at the bell.
Kipyegon’s latest feat remains historic. The 29-year-old athlete became the first Kenyan in history to break the Mile World Record.
LG Electronics EA PR and Digital Manager, Glenda Achieng, lauded the record-breaker for her phenomenal performance this season. “Faiths demonstrated that hard work and discipline in sports yield results. It is even more impressive that Faith is winning an award for the second month in a row. Her success in the track is an inspiration to athletes and the entire world”, Achieng said.
Athletes who came behind Kipyegon in the same race broke national records; an indication that the Kenyan star set a blistering pace.
Ireland’s Ciara Mageean, who placed second in a national record of 4:14.58 and Ethiopian Freweyni Hailu who crossed the finish line third in 4:14.79. Great Britain’s Laura Muir set her country’s national record (4:15.24) while fifth-placed Jessica Hull set an Australian record (4:15.34) in the same race.
Kipyegon emerged the LG/SJAK award winner for the month of July, closely beating African 100m record holder Ferdinand Omanyala, another track star who has consistently posted impressive results at the 2023 Diamond League series.
Omanyala sprinted to his maiden Diamond League victory after beating Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo in a closely contested 100m honours, also in Monaco. He has been in the top three in his campaign this season but Kipyegon’s World Record made her the month’s winner.
SJAK President James Waindi said the country had high expectations for Kipyegon ahead of the 2023 World Championships.
“SJAK congratulates Faith for the second Sports Personality of the Month award. We encourage you to continue inspiring the world with your exceptional wins. As sports journalists, we will continue telling the stories of our athletes as they write history in local and international races. We thank LG for the partnership that has seen athletes recognized and awarded every month over the years,” Waindi said.
Women’s 3,000m steeplechase World Record holder Jackline Chepkoech who won the water and barrier race at the London Diamond League and Eugene Adera, who debuted for the men’s basketball team – Morans and emerged second best performer at the AfroCan in Angola as well as Derick Ogechi, the seventh best scorer in the continental contest, also made it to the nomination list of the LG/SJAK Sports Personality of the Month of July.
Kenya Rugby Union has begun designing a talent identification programme that will enable the union monitor current school games and clubs to flag potential players.
The program is part of KRU’s bigger plan of establishing a larger pool of future young stars through an age-grade rugby system.
“Initially the plans will be to identify, develop and support potential players in U20 and U18 divisions and increasing number of high quality playing opportunities to expose the youngsters to national and international standards,” said Kenya Rugby Union (KRU) chairman Alexander ‘Sasha’ Mutai.
He added, “ We want to set the ball rolling for revival of the Kenya Schools Combined Team programme and are upbeat of the impending success of Kenyan rugby through the initiative.”
Mutai expressed confidence in Kenya’s Under 20 team, Chipu’s huge potential showcased in the just concluded World Under 20 Rugby Trophy tournament- emphasizing the need to expose the players to high-pressure and competitive tournaments.
He described the Tournament as a very top level test for Chipu players who had warmed up for just a month and competed against opponents who had been training for over a year for the battle.
“The tournament has taught us very crucial lessons we are keen to urgently address. Our youngsters put up a good performance and in every game they recorded significant improvements in both attacks and defense. They had the power and grit to push harder in most first halves but could not sustain the pressure to the end to deliver victory,” said Mutai.
The Union also described the global showpiece as a great success for Kenya’s sports tourism, the government collaborative efforts through steadfast support and a board that has been in office for just three months.
“ We are extremely proud to have delivered a smooth and highly competitive global event without incidences and disruptions and this affirms to the country’s readiness to host global sporting events. It also affirms the success that comes with collaborative partnerships that this new board will continue to embrace, with all public and private partners ,” said Kenya Rugby Union Commercial Director, Harriet Okach.
She added, “Again, we express appreciation for Kenyan government’s, World Rugby and Rugby Africa’s support in making the tournament a success and lifting the spirits of our young sporting talents.”
Okach said the board will soon be reaching out to corporates for support on the next phase of developing young talents, affirming their commitment to deliver returns on investments extended by partners.
World Rugby Under 20 Chief Executive Officer, Ian Mugambi said, “The event was highly successful. Everything had been put in place in time, meeting the entire requirement that World Rugby requires. The Union also made significant efforts to bring in the fans including a ticket sales drive and ensuring safety of players by enhancing their security during national protests.”
National 15s Squads Director, Moses Mukabane said, “The new plans will bridge the player growth gap by fortifying rugby development pathways from age-grade in primary schools to junior competition levels in the High school (U18) system. Focus is more on the process than outcome for this period.”
