Kenya loses bid to host the 2025 World Athletics Championships

President Uhuru Kenyatta makes his address at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani in Nairobi when he officially opened the third edition of the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold series, Kip Keino Classic [Standard]

Nairobi on Friday lost its bid to host the 2025 World Athletics Championships after World Athletics announced that Tokyo will stage the 2025 edition.

Tokyo held a delayed Olympics last year behind closed doors amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The decision was confirmed at the council's meeting in Eugene ahead of the start of the 18th edition of the World Championships on Friday, with Tokyo holding off competition from Nairobi, Poland and Singapore.

"Within an extremely strong field of candidates to host the World Athletics Championships 2025, Tokyo offered a compelling bid,” World Athletics President Lord Coe said in a statement.

"I hope this will be a shining light for Japan as they celebrate 100 years of the Japanese Association of Athletics Federations (JAAF) in 2025, by bringing world-class athletics back to the people in Tokyo."

Budapest will host the 2023 World Championships, with this year's event having been pushed back 12 months to accommodate the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

The Nairobi bid was jointly prepared by the Athletics Kenya (AK) and Government of Kenya after Kenya successful hosted the World Athletics Under 18 and Under 20 Championships in 2017 and also in 2021.