The Athletics board of New Zealand has confirmed its withdrawal from the 2021 World Athletics U20 Championships to be held in Nairobi, Kenya.
In a statement released by the New Zealand Athletics Board on the April 22, Athletics Zealand stated that it will not be sending athletes to the Under 20 global edition explaining that the decision was not lighty made by the Athletics board in conjunction with the New Zealand government considering the magnitude of impact it would pose on the young athletes meant to take part in the competition.
The Chances to compete on an international platform for the country usually comes after a well detailed review and consideration of all relevant factors by the Athletics board of the country and senior management team.
The New Zealand's Athletics board stated that the tough decision had been reached after the current Covid 19 situation in Kenya's capital which led to the suspension of sporting activities and the cessation of movement in order to curb the rising cases of the Coronavirus.
The situation in Nairobi which was brought about by the third wave of the virus has put a very heavy strain on hospitals and ICU facilities on containing the patients and thus has served a significant threat to the New Zealand Athletics board who had planned on sending its athletes to the competition.
In their statement that read “There is a heightened risk of terrorism throughout Kenya at present, including an ongoing threat based on credible information indicating that Westerners may be targeted by extremists in the Nairobi area. The NZ Consulate in Kenya has advised Athletics NZ against hiring a security escort for our team as, according to their expertise, the presence of security details can make a group stand out and therefore become a potential target.” showed that the board is also skeptical of the insecurity cases in Nairobi.
The Athletics Board of New Zealand had also been advised by its insurance brokers that they would not be able to provide insurance cover for the athletes, management and coaches travelling to the global showpiece held in Kenya and thus forcing the board to pull themselves out of the competition.
The Under 20 Championships are set to be held in Nairobi from August 17-22 at the Moi International Stadium Kasarani in Nairobi,Kenya and will see different nations converge in Kenya's Capital to make the event happen.