Athletics: Kenya shrugs aside taunts of terror threats to stage spectacular event

IAAF WORLD U18 CHAMPIONSHIPS KASARANI STADIUM Kenyan team during the closing ceremony of the IAAF World U18 Championships at Kasarani Stadium on Sunday 16/07/17.[Boniface Okendo,Standard]

With two overall titles safely tucked into the national trophy cabinet, Kenyan charges wrapped up the IAAF World Under-18 Championships in a spectacular fashion.

Kenya won the inaugural edition in Bydgoszcz, Poland, in 1999 and Bresanone, Italy, in 2009.

After a number of runner-up finishes, Kenya wound up fourth behind Cuba, China and South Africa in an edition of the world under-18 championships that will go down in history as one of the most highly attended.

Six-time winners USA, Italy, New Zealand, Japan and Great Britain snubbed the showpiece, citing terrorism fears,  but that did not derail the five days of riveting action at Kasarani.

Kenyans were ready to stop any aggression from six-time winners USA - Debreen, Hungary (2001), Sherbrook, Canada (2003) and Ostrava, Czech Republic (2005) and (2007) Marakech, Morocco and (2011) in Lille, France and Donetsk (Ukraine) 2013. Russia bagged the overall title in Cali, Colombia, in 2015.

The traditional Kenya versus Ethiopia track rivalry got a renewed touch in the elementary IAAF competition, with each team coming up with some fresh athletes emerging from the production chains.

Sports Cabinet Secretary Hassan Wario played glowing tribute to the Local Organizing Committee and Kenyans, who turned up in large numbers to cheer on the team.

“We had the greatest sporting event ever in this country and I wish to thank everyone who was involved in the organization, especially the inter-ministerial team appointed by the President, which was led by the late Cabinet Secretary for Interior Lt Gen Joseph Nkaissery, and that was extremely important in mobilizing preparations in infrastructure, roads, energy and other sectors.

“I also thank the President for giving the money for the project and leading from the front. I thank the government, Local Organising Committee, volunteers and everyone else involved because it showed what we do and also that we can bid for bigger events like the World Championships and the Diamond League.

“It was a good interplay between tourism and sports because, with 160 nations watching the action live from Nairobi, it was a great platform to showcase Kenya and also silenced the naysayers who though we could not manage to organize such a championship.

They had said we won’t be ready for the championships, and that there were security issues because of the general election but in the end we have shown that Kenya is a mature country that can hold elections while at the same time organizing a major sporting competition.

“I would also like to thank the late Athletics Kenya president Isaiah Kiplagat who pushed Kenya’s bid to host these championships during our presentation in Monaco in 2014.”

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