IAAF to inspect Nairobi for World U-20 Championships
Sports Principal Secretary Kirimi Kaberia interacts with pupils of Ihururu primary in Nyeri at Ihururu stadium during his inspection tour of local stadiums on October 9, 2018. PHOTO | JOSEPH KANYI |
What you need to know:
- Nairobi was endorsed by the IAAF on July 26 to host the event following a successful edition of World U-18 last year.
- He pointed out that the only difference between the U-18 and U-20 is equipment, something he said is being addressed with speed.
- A budget of about Sh2billion will be spent on the event, which is Sh1billion lower than what was used during the 2017 U-18 event.
Kenya is set for an International Association Athletics Federation (IAAF) inspection ahead of the World U-20 Championships in Nairobi.
Speaking in Nyeri on Tuesday, Sports PS Kirimi Kaberia said that the inspection will be done before the end of this year.
"We held our first meeting with IAAF last week and we feel that we are in good position and shape in terms of preparedness," he said.
Having staged a successful World U-18 Championship last year, Kaberia said that many facilities are intact and only require a little bit of touch up.
"We cannot tell the specific date because that is for IAAF inspection team to decide, but all we know is that they will be checking security preparedness, technical issues, hospitality among other areas," he added.
Nairobi was endorsed by the IAAF on July 26 to host the event following a successful edition of World U-18 last year.
He pointed out that the only difference between the U-18 and U-20 is equipment, something he said is being addressed with speed.
A budget of about Sh2billion will be spent on the event, which is Sh1billion lower than what was used during the 2017 U-18 event.
"We are trying to cut cost to the lowest because everything is in place. This is not the first time we are doing this kind of event," he added.
The World U-20 Championships have been scheduled for July 7 to 12, 2020.
Kaberia said that the ministry is keen to complete the preparations six months ahead of the global event.
"Everything must be ready six months before the event. We don't want a crash program," he said.
The country has topped four times in these championships since 1986.
Kaberia was in Nyeri to pay a courtesy call to Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga and to inspect the upcoming Ruring'u and Ihururu stadium.
