Idah Waringa Feted In Sports Awards One Year After Leaving NTV

The five journalists from NMG's sports desk took up half of the top 10 cut in different categories of the Awards.

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May 22, 2023 - 17:17
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Idah Waringa Feted In Sports Awards One Year After Leaving NTV
Side by side image of former NTV news anchor Idah Waringa. /FILE

Former NTV sports anchor, Idah Waringa was on Monday, May 22 recognised alongside five sports journalists from the Nation Media Group (NMG) during the 2022 International Sports Press Association (AIPS) Sports Media Awards.

The five journalists from NMG's sports desk took up half of the top 10 cut in different categories of the Awards, which seek to celebrate exemplary sports reporting by African journalists.

Waringa was recognised alongside Elias Makori, the Lead Editor of Sports and Integration Projects, Daily Nation Photojournalist Sila Kiplagat, NTV Sports Producer Jane Ngige and NTV Sports reporter Stephen Keter.

Nation Media Group’s Managing Editor Sports, Elias Makori gives a speech during a celebration to mark his 30 years of service at NMG on March 10, 2023. /NAIROBI NEWS

Her story titled Ekiru's Voice of Hope which ran on NTV was placed fifth in the Video Documentary. It featured Samuel Ekiru, a visually impaired fan from Turkana County who expressed his inspiration to be like or better than English football commentator Peter Drury, who is well-known for exhilarating commentaries in the Premier League, UEFA Champions League and the World Cup, among others.

In 2021, when Drury learnt of Ekiru’s imitation of him, the Briton sent an encouraging message to the Kenyan man.

"Nairobi, Turkana…they feel like faraway places to me, but I feel that somehow we have become connected by our shared love for football. I understand that you enjoy hearing me talk about football and that that’s helped you learn some English and give you a real interest and passion, and that’s fantastic…but let me tell you that hearing your story inspires me a whole lot more.

"I know that life isn’t particularly easy for you, I know you have real trouble, particularly with your vision, and I really hope that there is a way to heal your eyesight and improve that situation for you.

"In the meantime, I love the thought that you would love to be a football commentator, and you should pursue that dream with everything you’ve got. It’s all about passion, it’s about loving it, it is all about words and finding a way to express yourself and I know that you can do that," Drury encouraged at the time.

Alongside Waringa, Ngige's story about The Making of Ferdinand Omanyala emerged 10th in the same category.

Makori emerged third in the Writing Best Column category, courtesy of his piece titled He’s superhuman…let’s name city’s new motorway ‘Eliud Kipchoge Expressway', a September 27, 2022 article which called for the naming of the 27-kilometre Nairobi Expressway that cuts through Nairobi County, after Kipchoge, as a way of celebrating the marathoner’s achievement and also to motivate other athletes.

"The Nation Media Group is taking convergence seriously and the various wins across our print and electronic properties are testimony to the fact that we are heading in the right direction at the integrated NMG Sports Desk. This is just the beginning of many exciting deliveries to come as we set the pace in African sports journalism and storytelling," said Makori.

Kiplagat made the cut in two categories – finishing top in Young Reporters Photography and sixth in Photography Sports Action. Under the Young Reporters Photography section, he entered a picture on water splash during the 2022 Kip Keino Classic held at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani.

He had emerged top in the same category of the 2021 AIPS Sport Media Awards.

"It is a great joy to be named among the best in Africa. Such achievements are what motivates one to keep working hard. I think I am now more motivated to strive to be the best," Kiplagat commented.

Keter, who is based in Eldoret, was also listed in two categories – finishing ninth and seventh under Women’s Can-3TV and Young Reporters Broadcasting categories respectively.

In the two categories, he entered the story, “Waliobobea, Meet Tecla Chemabwai, Kenya’s first female Olympian", which he revealed he was motivated to do because "Chemabwai is such an inspiration to the upcoming athletes, especially women."

The Awards received a total of 1,830 submissions from 138 different nationalities across different forms of media.

Waringa left NMG in April 2022 albeit silently, a station whereby she spent her three years and where she rose to become one of Kenya's biggest female anchors in the sports division.

She revealed on Wednesday, March 29 that she bagged a new role as the news editor of China Global Television Network (CGTN)'s English division after moving to China.

Idah Waringa posing behind CGTN Headquarters in Beijing, China on March 29, 2023. /IDAH WARINGA

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