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Deep down in his heart, Joshua Cheptegei is probably yet to believe that he is great, especially being nominated for the Sportsman of the Year Award at the annual Laureus World Sports Awards due May.
The Ugandan is vying for the top prize at the Awards equated to the sports Oscars with NBA star LeBron James and record French Open tennis champion, Rafael Nadal.
Pole vault world record holder Swede Armand Duplantis, Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton and Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski complete the six-man shortlist.
“I am really honoured to be nominated,” a humbled Cheptegei reacted in a tweet.
The 24-year-old is the first Ugandan to be nominated for the prize in history because he set three straight world records over the 5km, 5000m, and 10000m before taking fourth place at the World Half-Marathon Championships.
World 10000m champion Cheptegei, who recently signed two endorsement deals sandwiched by his successful title defence of the Monaco 5K Herculis Run in France, is the only third African to receive this nomination too.
The others are Moroccan middle-distance runner Hicham El Guerrouj in 2005 and Kenyan marathoner Eliud Kipchoge in 2019 and 2020.
The winner of the Award will be voted by a 68-member group of the Laureus World Sports Academy which is made of former global athletes.
These include ex-Brazilian defender Cafu, Kenyan marathon legend Kip Keino, former Manchester United stars Bobby Charlton and Ryan Giggs, German tennis legend Boris Becker and US golf icon Jack Nicklaus.
CHEPTEGEI AT A GLANCE
Date of birth: September 12, 1996
Major Races: 5000m, 10000m
Personal Bests: 5000m (12:35.36), 10000m (26:11.00)
Coach: Addy Ruiter
Manager: Jurrie van der Velden
Kit Sponsor: Nike
CHEPTEGEI’S 2020 SHOW
Feb 16: 5K World Record
Aug 14: 5000m World Record
Oct 7: 10000m World Record
Oct 17: 4th World Half-Marathon Champs
2021 LAUREUS WORLD SPORTS AWARDS
LIST OF NOMINEES
Sportsman of the Year Award: Joshua Cheptegei (Uganda), Armand Duplantis (Sweden), Lewis Hamilton (UK), LeBron James (USA), Robert Lewandowski (Poland), Rafael Nadal (Spain)
Sportswoman of the Year Award: Anna van der Breggen (Netherlands), Federica Brignone (Italy), Brigid Kosgei (Kenya), Naomi Osaka (Japan), Wendie Renard (France), Breanna Stewart (USA)
World Team of the Year Award: Argentina Men’s Rugby Team, Bayern Munich (Germany), Kansas City Chiefs (USA), Liverpool (UK), Los Angeles Lakers (USA), Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team (Germany)
Breakthrough of the Year Award: Ansu Fati (Spain), Patrick Mahomes (USA), Joan Mir (Spain), Tadej Pogacar (Slovenia), Iga Swiatek (Poland), Dominic Thiem (Austria)
Comeback of the Year Award: Daniel Bard (USA), Kento Momota (Japan), Alex Morgan (USA), Max Parrot (Canada), Mikaela Shiffrin (USA), Alex Smith (USA)
Sport for Good Award: Boxgirls Kenya - Boxing - supports and empowers at-risk girls in underserved slum communities in Nairobi, Fundación Colombianitos (Colombia) - Football & Rugby - bridges gender gaps and promotes education, KICKFORMORE (Germany) - Football - empowers youth to make positive contributions in their communities
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This writer is a global broadcaster and as well scribe with Daily Monitor Newspaper and sports presenter with Radio One FM 90 in Kampala. Follow him on Twitter: @AllanDarren and his Facebook Page: Darren Allan Kyeyune