Team Kenya for the World Athletics U20 Opening Ceremony (© Erick Barasa)
At the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani in Nairobi, First Lady Margaret Kenyatta presided over a colorful opening ceremony for the 2021 World Athletics Under-20 Championships. More than 100 countries, including the refugee team and neutral athletes, will compete under the World Athletics flag in the event, which officially begins on Wednesday.
The First Lady, who serves as the event's patron, remarked that hosting the World Under-20 Championships is a watershed moment for Africa, and she hopes that additional tournaments will be held in Kenya. “I'd want to express my gratitude to the stakeholders and the media. I admire the young people who want to better their sport by competing in the event, and I wish them the best of luck in the field and track events,” she stated.
She also stated that athletes competing in such events will be able to pursue their academic aspirations in addition to their sporting ambitions. She also requested that individuals competing in the championships adhere to the Ministry of Health's Covid-19 regulations in order to keep the event safe and virus-free.
“I would want to encourage all competitors, officials, and those involved in making the event a success to adhere to the Covid-19 protocols so that we may have a safe and healthy championship by the conclusion of the five days,” Margaret added.
The night celebration, which drew only a few hundred people to the 60,000-seat stadium, was marked by pomp, color, music, and fireworks. While the teams marched into the renovated Kasarani, the RedFourth Chorus sang out tunes as the First Lady and World Athletics Sebastian Coe observed from the VIP dias. The National Anthem was also performed by the Kenya Police Band.
CS Sports Amina Mohamed said in a statement read by the Principal Secretary, Joe Okudo, that planning for the event had been a lengthy journey and that she was pleased that more than 100 countries had agreed to compete.
“Despite the problems posed by the pandemic, the country has supported athletes in many competitions, including providing training facilities, despite the fact that most athletes did not train adequately for a year. We are grateful for the government's assistance in allowing us to host a tournament.
Because we are in the middle of a pandemic, we are taking all necessary security precautions to ensure the event runs smoothly, including daily Covid-19 testing,” Amina explained.
Despite the difficult circumstances the globe is through, World Athletics President Sebastian Coe praised the Local Organising Committee and the Government of Kenya on putting on a championship.
“After the just ended Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, this is the second largest athletics event in the world this year, and as a world body, we are hopeful that more talent will be tapped during the championships. I'm excited to return to Kenya for more sporting events now that you've proven you can host a championship,” he added.
President of Athletics Kenya, Jack Tuwei, expressed gratitude to World Athletics for awarding Kenya the hosting rights.
Kenya will have 46 athletes in various categories in an attempt to defend the title they won in the previous event in Tampere, Finland.
Mercy Namachanja for World Athletics.