2023 SOYA Awards – Nathaniel Manyeki emerges as 2nd Runners Up
Nathaniel Manyeki, who started his journey as a promising chess player, has now become the second runner-up in the Most Promising Personality of the Year 2023 category at the SOYA Ceremony.
The reigning 2023 Africa Youth Champion U8 showcased his exceptional talent by achieving a perfect score at the Africa Youth Chess Championship held last year in Egypt. He stunned his Egyptian hosts by winning the gold medal in the U8 Section they traditionally dominated. You can read more on the 2023 African Youth Chess Championship here.
Amidst cheers and applause, CK officials, along with Nathaniel Manyeki’s family and friends, gathered at the KICC Nairobi for the award ceremony, celebrating his remarkable accomplishments.
Chess has featured in the SOYA ceremony for the second time in history. The first time was when Sharanya Iyengar won a prize in the 2013 SOYA Ceremony under the ‘Most Promising Girls’ category.
The SOYA Awards, celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, served as a platform to unite and honour the excellence of sportsmen and women from various disciplines across Kenya.
This grand celebration of achievements brought together partners from esteemed organizations, including CMA, Safaricom, KAS, and the Paul Tergat Foundation.
Nathaniel Manyeki, the current U8 Boys’ Kenya National Chess Champion, has held this title for three consecutive years. He started playing chess in 2021 and has secured podium finishes in many regional tournaments under different age categories.
Milestones Achieved
2022 Africa Youth Chess Champion U8 Open, having emerged victorious with 9/9 points in Cairo, Egypt.
Represented Kenya in the 2022 African Youth Chess Championship (Lusaka, Zambia)
2021 Africa Schools Individual Chess Championships (Nairobi, Kenya) and ranked 4th in the U7 Open Section.
Current U8 Kenya National Chess Champion, the title he has held for three consecutive years (2021, 2022, 2023).
Article by Kenya Chess Masala.
