NAIROBI, Kenya, May 8 – President Uhuru Kenyatta has said the success witnessed in hosting Saturday’s Kip Keino Classic and Sunday’s inaugural Nairobi City Marathon has put Kenya on the world map as a successful sports destination, backing the country to win hosting rights for the 2025 World Athletics Championships.
Kenya has put in a bid to host the 2025 global event, after previously hosting the World Under-18 and Under-20 Championships at the Moi Sports Centre Kasarani.
“Yesterday we were at Kasarani at the Kip Keino Classic. We had international champions in track and field and we are attracting World and Olympic champions. Because of the infrastructure we have developed, we are very hopeful we are well prepared that in 2025 our country will have the pride and pleasure of hosting the first World Athletics Championships to be held on the African continent,” President Kenyatta said.
He was speaking on Sunday morning after the inaugural edition of the Nairobi City Marathon, staged along the newly constructed Expressway.
Kenya is hoping that World Athletics will consider their bid to host the Senior Championships especially with the success witnessed at Saturday’s Kip Keino Classic.
World Athletics officials were present at Kasarani on Saturday, just less than two weeks after a group of inspectors visited the country to assess Kenya’s preparedness to host the global event.
At the same time, there is hope that the Nairobi City Marathon, which will now be held annually, will earn gold label status recognition by World Athletics.
President Kenyatta has also paid glowing tribute to the growth of sports in the country, especially with more global events coming in.
“Kenya has always been known as the home of champions but today we are not just the home of champions, we are also attracting champions from across the globe to come and run and participate in various sporting events,” the Head of State said.
He adds; “And it is not just in athletics where we have now slowly began to attract international attention. In a few weeks’ time we will be doing the second Safari Rally. Kenya is now on the map as being part of the European Golf Tour as well.”
