‘Kenya has what it takes to host 2029 World Athletics Championships,’ Korir

Kenya is stepping up its push to host the 2029 World Athletics Championships, with Athletics Kenya Nairobi branch chairman Barnaba Korir confident the country has what it takes to stage the global showpiece.

Korir says government support, Kenya’s passion for athletics and ongoing improvements to sporting infrastructure give the country a strong case to become the first African nation to host the championships.

“We have the goodwill from the President, and you have seen him come out to support our bid. That is very huge for us as a country. We are developing facilities that can host the event, the passion for the sport is there, and Kenya has contributed big time to the world of athletics. I feel it is time for Kenya and Africa to host the event,” said Korir.

Beyond the 2029 hosting bid, Korir says Kenya is also preparing for the 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal, scheduled for October 31 to November 13.

The National Olympic Committee of Kenya First Vice President says preparations are already underway, with the federation keen to build on the progress made by the country’s young athletes.

“In December, there was a competition in Luanda and we selected a team that will be participating in the competition. I think maybe with an addition of two or three from the Under-20 team that participated in Oregon,” Korir added.

Korir, who also serves as Athletics Kenya’s Director of Youth Development, says the federation is exploring partnerships with universities in the United States to give Kenyan athletes access to high-quality indoor training facilities.

He says the lack of adequate infrastructure for sprinters and field-event athletes remains a challenge, despite Kenya’s growing potential in those disciplines.

“We have an issue in the country where we don’t have infrastructure for sprinters and field events. We have seen that as a country, we have the potential to do well in the field events. That is why we are having discussions with some universities in the USA so that we can identify 10 or 12 sprinters who can go and train with the best, in the best facilities,” said Korir.

The initiatives are part of efforts by Athletics Kenya to broaden the country’s medal prospects beyond its traditional strength in middle- and long-distance events.