The World Under 20 Championships are set to be held in Nairobi from 17th to 22nd August but this time behind closed doors as no fans will be allowed in the stadium during the event. Sports Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed said they have been compelled to take the drastic measure considering Kenya is yet to vaccinate over 50 per cent of the population."The event will be spectator free unless the situation changes for the better and we get a green light from World Athletics," Amina said.
The announcement was made after Amina - accompanied by the Championships chief executive Myke Rabar and Jackson Tuwei, President of the Organising Committee and of Athletics Kenya - had inspected the newly laid Mondo track at the Moi International Sports Center Kasarani within Kenyatta University.Amina expressed satisfaction with the progress made so far for the Championships, at which athletes from around 120 countries are expected, and confidence that all would be ready in time to host the athletes, "We have been assured that this tartan track is of the international standards and if a record is broken it will be ratified by the World Athletics." Amina added
Up to 1,300 competitors from 128 countries are expected to compete in the Championships which have previously been the launchpad for the successful careers of athletes like Ethiopia’s Haile Gebrselassie and the Jamaican Great, Usain Bolt.
Athletics Kenya President Jackson Tuwei stated that all the necessary measures had been finalised for the Championships, which were postponed from 2020, adding that Kenya’s junior team had already started work in its bubble training camp in Kenyatta University. The University's vice-chancellor Professor Paul Wainaina claimed the facility will be of great impact."The students, community have been waiting for this project for the last one year, we hope that the other elements that is adding two lanes of the track will be done in time," he said.