IAAF to build high performance training centre at KU

The International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) will put up a High Performance Training Centre at Kenyatta University as part of the legacy of the World Under-18 Championship.

The Local Organising Committee’s CEO Mwangi Muthee has said the centre will have ultra-modern equipment which will not only benefit Kenyans but also athletes from Eastern Africa.

Muthee, accompanied by LOC chairman Jackson Tuwei, said Kenyatta University which will be the championships’ village, will also benefit from the same competition and warm up tracks that will be laid at Safaricom Stadium, Kasarani.

“The IAAF wants to leave a lasting legacy after the event. Upcoming and established athletes will benefit from the facilities years after the World Under-18 Championships are over,” Muthee said on Monday while briefing the media on the progress they have made ahead of the Championships that will be held July 12 to 16 next year at Kasarani.

Muthee said IAAF’s delegates will visit Kenya from October 16 to 20. He said the LOC is in a race against time to do procurement for various services for the event within two weeks.

Muthee said engineers, led by Cristian Burril from Italy-based tartan track manufacturer, Mondo, are already in the country to figure out how an ultra-modern track will be laid at the warm up and competition areas at Kasarani and at the games village in Kenyatta University.

“They are working closely with a guild of engineers from the Ministry of Public Works, quantity surveyors, architects and others from Government agencies on how to deliver the best running and warm-up tracks,” said Muthee.

At the same time, Muthee intimated that IAAF technical delegates will visit the country from October 16 to 20 to lay the ground work ahead of the 2017 World Under-18 Championships in Nairobi.

Paul Hardy, who is the director for competition and director of technology Emmanuel Perotti will lead the delegates for the familiarisation tour.

Delegates from Dentsu/Ams, who have the broadcasting rights for IAAF events, and partners Seiko, Cannon and Delta Tree, will also be in Nairobi to strategise ahead of the event that will be held July 12 to 16, 2017 at Kasarani.

Muthee said that they are waiting for the approval from IAAF so as to ship in equipment that will be used in the competition adding that the LOC is happy that the IAAF has approved Kenyatta University as the game’s village.

Muthee said the plan to publicise the event will be rolling out next week after IAAF approves the logos, advertisements among others things. “We shall be putting up a website in the next one week,” said Muthee.

Tuwei said they have put in place a mechanism that will see Kenya field in all the events. “We are already having camps across the country to train our athletes especially in sprints and field events,” said Tuwei. “Funding has been a problem but we shall have more in December in Nairobi and Keringet.”