Kenya to become first African host of World Athletics Championships

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Kenya will become the first African country to host the World Athletics Championships after Nairobi won the bid to stage the 2029 edition.

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World Athletics announced the decision on Tuesday following its 242nd Council Meeting, held in Budapest, Hungary, on Monday and Tuesday.

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Munich, Germany, was selected to host the 2031 Championships, with Nairobi and Munich emerging as the successful bidders from four proposals for the two editions.

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World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said the Council faced a difficult decision because of the quality of the competing bids.

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“We were fortunate to have four outstanding bids for 2029 and 2031, and this was not an easy decision for the Council.

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“The quality, ambition and commitment demonstrated by all four candidates underlines the strength and global appeal of the World Athletics Championships,” he said.

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Coe said Nairobi and Munich ultimately submitted compelling proposals that secured the hosting rights for the respective championships.

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“Nairobi and Munich ultimately presented two compelling propositions. They offer very different but equally exciting opportunities for our sport.

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“I am delighted that we can now begin working with both cities to stage two world-class championships,” he said.

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He described Kenya as one of the world’s great athletics nations and said taking the championships to Africa for the first time would be historic.

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“Nairobi presented a compelling and emotional bid, and taking the World Athletics Championships to Africa for the first time will be historic.

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“Kenya is one of the great athletics nations,” Coe said.

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The World Athletics president said the organisation wanted the championships to come to Africa when the right conditions and host were available.

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“It was important that the World Athletics Championships should come to Africa when we had the right host, the right bid and the right circumstances.

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“Nairobi has demonstrated emphatically that this is their moment,” he said.

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The 2029 Championships will therefore mark the first time the flagship World Athletics event is staged on African soil.

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Nairobi has previously hosted major international athletics competitions, including the 2020 World Athletics Continental Tour Gold Kip Keino Classic and the 2021 World Athletics U20 Championships.

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The 2031 Championships will subsequently be held in Munich, Germany.

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