Karanja established a wheelchair tennis programme in Mombasa which has grown significantly and successfully secured the necessary sponsorship required to maintain the project in the future.

The programme provides budding players with regular opportunities to play wheelchair tennis in the region and has seen players progress to the Kenyan National Championships since its establishment two years ago, while four players have represented their country at the BNP Paribas World Team Cup.

Karanja also captained Kenya’s women’s team at the BNP Paribas World Team Cup African Qualification in Nairobi, with their victory at the event, sealing progression to the World Group, held in Alphen, The Netherlands.

In addition to his achievements in Kenya, Karanja has played a key role in developing tennis in both Tanzania and Rwanda.

The Kenyan organised a wheelchair tennis tournament between his home nation and Tanzania, in an effort to boost relations with the Tanzania Tennis Association, with the Kenyan wheelchair team then heading out Tanzania for a second tournament.

Karanja then supported Rwanda in their bid to establish their own wheelchair tennis programme and allowed the newly appointed Rwandan coach to spend two weeks with him in Kenya, enabling them to learn from his experience of coaching the sport.

On top of his achievements in 2014, which have seen him honoured with the award, Karanja recently captained the Kenyan men’s team to two victories at the 2015 BNP Paribas World Team Cup African Qualification tournament.

Under his leadership the team finished in the top three of the event for the first time.