Kenya Prepares Bid For 2023 World Athletics Championships

Sports Cabinet Secretary, Hassan Wario has revealed that Kenya is preparing a bid to host the 2023 World Athletics Championships.

He made the declaration during a breakfast held in honor of Team Kenya who finished second overall at the IAAF World Championships in London, behind overall wier United States.

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Speaking on Tuesday at the Weston Hotel, the CS said the country has proved it can host successful competitions.

Last month, Kenya hosted the final edition of the IAAF World Under-18 Championships; the junior version of the global track and field competition in Nairobi at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani.

The event drew huge crowds leading to the global athletics body commending the country for the well-attended competition.

“We have shown that we are capable to host smaller events, and it has now reached a time when we should host big competitions,” said Wario.

The IAAF World Athletics Championships has never been hosted by an African country but that didn’t seem to faze the Cabinet Secretary.

“Kenya became the first African nation to win the world championship in Beijing in 2015, it is only fitting that we should be the first country to bring the championships to Africa.

“We have a plan to build three big stadiums in Nairobi, Mombasa and Eldoret and seven additional new ones in other parts of the country.”

Athletics Kenya (AK) president, Lt. Gen. (Rtd) Jackson Tuwei welcomed Kenya’s ambition to host the 2023 World Athletics Championships but acknowledged that it would call for total commitment.

He, however, opined that Kenya should first bid for the Under-20 Championship before leaping into the senior competition.

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Kenya is among six potential African countries named by the Confederation of African Athletics president, Hamad Kalkaba Malboum that can host the global event.

Qatar capital, Doha, is set to host the 2019 IAAF World Championships before Eugene, Oregon, stages the 2021 edition.