Kenyan 7s international and Kabras RFC forward Kevin Wekesa has been nominated for the 2025 Sport Positive Awards in recognition of his impactful environmental campaign, Play Green with Kevin Wekesa.
The four-time Kenya Cup winner is shortlisted for the Next Generation Trailblazer Award, competing against Ben Hardy-Jones (The Desert Vipers), Emma Howe (Deloitte), Hamid Bouzit (Tibu Africa), Ioannis Konstantopoulos (University of Lausanne), Logan Waddle (Penske Entertainment), Luigi Cordasco (Malmö FF), Rebecca Videlo (World Sailing), and Sabrina De Angelis (Own Your Voice Academy).
A final shortlist will be announced on 29 August, with winners unveiled on 7 October.
Kevin Wekesa’s initiative
Wekesa’s Play Green initiative seeks to harness the power of sport to drive environmental sustainability. Within his national team role, he spearheaded the elimination of single-use plastics from training sessions by providing reusable bottles, preventing thousands of plastic bottles from entering the environment each month.
Beyond his team, Wekesa’s influence has extended nationwide. He has led the planting of more than 1,500 trees in schools and communities, establishing “Shujaa Forests” and educating thousands of young people on climate stewardship.
His advocacy inspired the Kenya National Tennis Federation to adopt similar plastic reduction measures, while also promoting a circular economy for sports gear.
Wekesa’s work is notably inclusive, uniting rival rugby clubs and diverse communities in shared environmental action. His dedication earned him global recognition as a Lewis Pugh Foundation Sports Champion, solidifying his position as a leading voice in climate action through sport.
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Other award categories include Biodiversity Project, Campaign of the Year, Community Initiative, Leadership Education and Training, Inspired Innovation, Purpose-Led Partnership, Purpose-Led Partnership with a Non-Profit, Research of the Year, and Transformation.
In the Purpose-Led Partnership with a Non-Profit category, Athletics Kenya for Environment and Diversity has also been nominated. In the Transformation category, Hong Kong China Rugby earned recognition for The Call of the Dragon, rugby’s first Sustainability Action Plan, alongside English Premier League clubs Arsenal and Liverpool.
About Sports positive award
The Sport Positive Awards celebrate global leaders using sport to address climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental justice. Launched in 2024, the awards have streamlined their categories for 2025 to include Transformation, Community Initiative, Education and Training, Purpose-Led Partnerships, Biodiversity Project, Next Generation Trailblazer, Leadership, Campaign and Report of the Year, Research Paper of the Year, and Inspired Innovation.
Sport Positive has partnered with the BBC Green Sport Awards for the past four years, with the BBC’s awards focusing on athlete-led stories for global audiences, while the Sport Positive Awards honour individuals and organisations working across the sport and sustainability industry worldwide.
