If you had the tools, time and ability to create whatever your heart desires, what would your masterpiece look like?

For Sofapaka Football Club, theirs seems a well-nurtured dream of going against the odds to reach their ultimate goal of clinching their maiden Kenyan Premier League (KPL) title on first appearance.

Since they entered top-flight football, Sofapaka have proved to be a formidable side, registering fantastic winning streaks that have seen them move closer to clinching the coveted KPL crown.

The Nairobi Christian club proved their worth yet again on Saturday at Kakamega’s Bukhungu Stadium, escaping Western Stima’s deadly snare by a whisker to settle for a barren draw.

Following the match keenly from the dressing rooms to the final whistle, I noticed a mixture of confidence, commitment, resilience and discipline from Sofapaka players. No wonder, the club managed to woo East African Portland Cement Company into signing a Sh12 million deal for three years.

Despite being ardent followers of Western Stima, we feel Sofapaka have a few lessons for other clubs to take cue.

Being able to stand the test of time in one of the most hotly contested season, is no mean feat. Sofapaka stand out as one of the most disciplined clubs in KPL. This, added to a staunch belief in God, explains why ‘batoto ba Mungu’ (God’s children) have continued to flourish in the premiership

With a wide network of scouts countrywide, the team has managed to tap some of the finest talent. Also notable, is the team’s wide fan-base that has spread as far as Western Province. With vuvuzela, Sofapaka fans kept support for their team alive throughout their encounter against Western Stima last Saturday. The team’s polished technical bench headed by coach Robert Matano has been instrumental in the team’s superb displays.

Another figure that cannot go unmentioned is the club’s president Elly Kalekwa who has remained committed to the club’s management.

With just a point away from the KPL crown, we can only wish them the best.

{Francis Ontomwa and Rodgers Eshitemi,

Masinde Muliro University}

Usain Bolt, the fastest man on earth, was christened Loilgwany (warrior of warriors) by Laikipia’s Segera Ranch locals at the weekend.

Bolt is not only a world celebrity but also a figure to look up to. I find very interesting attributes that ought to be emulated by many sportsmen. In the Jamaican sprinter, I see a mixture of humility and a deep sense of love for people.

His down-to-earth attitude makes the 100m and 200m world record holder my hero. He interacts freely with people of all calibres and allows them to take photos of all sorts with him. This shows the humility rare in most foreign successful athletes who have come to the country.

Journalists who have had a chance to interview the superman say, interviewing the Jamaican legend was an easy task since he is approachable and ready to discuss anything when called upon.

I have had an opportunity to interview a number of local athletes but it is sad to note that some of our local, successful, athletes have let their celebrity status eat into their psychology to the extent that even reaching them is almost impossible.

Some will shrug you off should you try to get stories from them, but for Bolt, it is the other side of this coin.

Successful local athletes must take cue from the Jamaican sprinter and work on their share of humility despite their levels of success. They should start engaging in projects that benefit the poor in the society just as Bolt has started.

{Francis Ontomwa, Masinde Muliro University}

From rugby sevens to women’s volleyball and athletics to football, local coaches have had brilliant results for the last decade.

In football, for example, no foreign coach save for the lat Reinhardt Fabisch has ever achieved much as Jacob ‘Ghost’ Mulee. Francis Kimanzi’s results have also been exemplary but foreign tacticians like Antoine Hey and Bernard Lama have never come closer to their achievements with Harambee Stars.

In rugby, the national Sevens coach Benjamin Ayimba has proved to the world that he is a world-class coach.

Not left behind is the national women’s volleyball team which has equally posted good results under the steward ship of our very own coaches Paul Bitok and David Lung’aho.

It is high time we embraced our homegrown talent for the betterment of sports locally.

{Waihenya Warui,

Kakamega}