Under 18 team goes to camp as junior team fate remains unclear

A full house at the Kenya camp for the IAAF World under 18 Championships is expected by the end of Monday evening while the Africa Junior Championships team fate still remains unknown.

According to the National Youth Chairman Barnaba Korir, about 35 athletes arrived on Sunday 18th June at their camp in South C, Nairobi County while others had not yet been released from their schools.

It is a different story for the under 20 junior team of eight athletes who are training individually at home.

“The Ministry of Sports last week said that they did not have money to send the athletes in Algeria for the African Championships. We have a very short time considering that the championships are starting next week on 29^th. We already selected a team of eight athletes and two officials.  If the Ministry will sponsor us we shall be able to send contingent of 15 athletes and three officials,” said Korir.

“We are still in talks with them (MOSCA) but if they do not sponsor us then we are going to send (only) the eight athletes. We are putting our documents in order as we wait for a sponsor. Unfortunately, we shall not be able to put them in camp; I trust they are going on with their training irrespective of what is happening now. The athletes will come (to Nairobi) two days before the departure,” he added.

Last week, during the national trials for the U18 and U 20 championships at the Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi County, the Ministry of Sports, Art and Culture Cabinet Secretary Dr. Hassan Wario,  was unaware of Kenya selecting a team of the biennial event despite enjoying a few thrilling events and giving a speech as action went on.

The CS added that all resources had been channeled to hosting next month’s IAAF World Under 18 Championships at the Moi International Sports Center, Kasarani with over 160 teams expected to attend the five day event.