Preparations at Kasarani, which is the main venue are almost finished as teams get ready for next week's event
Athletics
By
DENNIS OKEYO
| Jul 08, 2017
With less than four days to the global track and field events, International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) World U-18 Championships, Local Organising Committee (LOC) is working round the clock to make the event a success.
The Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani, the venue of the competition is yet to be ready for action. Foreign teams have started arriving for the event that starts on Wednesday. Oman and Poland were the first countries to arrive.
Oman’s sole representative is Asia under-18 2000m steeplechase bronze medalist, Mohammed Hamad Al-Sulemani.
He has been in the country for two weeks now while Polish team arrived in Nairobi on Wednesday and will be the first team to get the feel of Kasarani.
Kenyatta University, the championships’ hosting village is ready. The 2000 rooms of Nyayo hostels have been renovated and the roads within the university have also been paved and street lights repaired or installed.
The work at tartan track, under legacy programme is at an advanced stage but will not be ready by the time the championships start on Wednesday.
LOC Chief Executive Officer Mwangi Muthee confirmed that there is no cause for alarm as the official track at Kasarani, which is certified by IAAF, is ready.
Initially, the university's track, which is 10 kilometres away from Kasarani was to be used by the runners while at the village.
“The track at Kenyatta University is a legacy programme. The official warm up track is at Kasarani which has been certified by IAAF.
The work is ongoing and the tartan for KU will be in the country next week,” Muthee said earlier this week.
Head coach Barnaba Kitilit assured Kenyans the team is in good shape for the event.