DESPITE leading Gor Mahia to stardom in this year's Premier League, Zdravko Logarusic failed to make the coaches category shortlist on technicality ahead of next week's Safaricom Sports Personality of the Year Awards.

Logarusic took over at Gor Mahia technical bench when the Tusker Premier League runners-up were in 14th position and led them to the pinnacle, only to lose to ultimate champions, Tusker, by a whisker.

Soya panellists recognised his ability to turn around the club, who also won the Top Eight trophy and President's Cup.

He was also nominated by an overwhelming number of the public but unfortunately, will not be in contention as he has been technically locked out by the award's criteria of citizenship of Kenya.

But also on the list are very strong candidates including Caroline Kola, who was the head coach of the Kenya Deaf Athletics team to the second World athletics Championships for the Deaf in Toronto, Canada where they won four gold, four silver and three bronze medals.

Kola, a former renowned heptathlete, coached the national athletics team to 2010 African Senior Championships in Nairobi.

Veteran basketball coach Phillip Onyango guided Shimba Hills High School to the National Secondary Schools basketball title without losing a single game.

They proceeded to the East African Secondary Schools Championships where they lost in the final 56-55 and also took the national Under-18 girls basketball team to beat Rwanda in Kigali and qualify for the Africa Youth Championships where they finished 11th.

The multi-talented Jos Openda is also in the race for the coaches' award. He led Telkom to retain the national hockey title with a game at hand.

The team has won the league for the six consecutive years. Meanwhile, Athletics Kenya will again be on the lips of the general public.

But they must beat Kenya Rugby Union, the Deaflympics Athletics Association of Kenya (DAAK), Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association, Kenya Volleyball Federation and Kenya Paralympics Association to get the ultimate prize.