NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 14 – Guatemala is the latest country to arrive in Nairobi ahead of the World Under-20 Championships which start at the Moi Sports Centre Kasarani on Tuesday.
The team of three athletes; one sprinter and two race walkers; and four officials arrived in Nairobi on Thursday night as they prepare to battle for medals at the biennial event.
Race walkers Glendy Teletor and Bryan Matias as well as sprinter Mariandree Chacon will fly the Guatemalan flag in Nairobi and they will be accompanied by coaches Carlos Ortiz, Mario Salomon Pineda and physiotherapist Mario Javier Ruiz.
Twenty-one year old Ortiz, a bronze medalist from the 2018 World Under-20 Championship in Tampere, Finland, will coach the two race walkers.
“We love race walking since it is the sport most people associate with back home. We come to Kenya with the intention of doing well in the race,” said Ortiz.
Ruiz said the team received endorsement from the autonomous Sports Confederation of Guatemala to take part in the biennial event.
“We shall hit the ground running immediately so that the athletes can acclimatise and maintain their form and shape. Our target is to win medals,” said Ruiz.
The Central American country located South of Mexico became the second country to send a delegation to Kenya after Poland whose contingent arrived in two batches early this week.
Eight more countries including Canada, France, Algeria, Argentina, Botswana, Czech Republic, Colombia and Dominican Republic are also expected in the country.
The global event set for August 17 to 22 will see a total of over 100 countries and 1462 athletes compete behind closed doors at Kasarani as a measure to combat the spread of coronavirus.