World Under-20 Championships chief executive officer, Mike Rabar is delighted that the the event will go ahead next year after the World Athletics announced new dates yesterday.
The event will now be held from August 17-22 next year. The championship was earlier slated for July 12-17 but was later postponed due to the outbreak of coronavirus pandemic.
Rabar said said the move by the world governing body to reschedule the event was good news not only for the athletic fraternity but the country as a whole.
“Some events have been cancelled while others have been rescheduled for two more years and therefore I am glad now we have a date. This gives us time to prepare effectively," he added.
Rabar said they will have two test events preferably in April and June to gauge their preparedness for the five-day championship.
"We are looking at having one or two test events to gauge our preparation and now that we have a date, it gives us room to experiment and prepare adequately” he added.
The world Under-20 boss said they are also looking to make a couple of changes to the budget and the Local Organising Committee ahead of next year.
"We may have to adjust a few things in the budget and other expenses as well as the LOC due to the new dates,” observed Rabar.
He thanked the government for their support towards the event despite the changes. “ We have a very hard working Cabinet Secretary Ambassador Amina Mohammed and Principal Secretary Joe Okudo, who have been very supportive,” he noted.
He said Moi International Sports Centre (MISC), Kasarani that is closed for renovation work will be ready for the championship next year.
Athletics Kenya (AK) youth development chairman, Barnaba Korir said 60 per cent athletes who were to attend the event this year will still feature next year as they are still in the age bracket for the event.
"A good number of the athletes will still compete for the country. However, some of them will not be eligible and it's unfortunate they won't participate due to what has happened," he revealed.
He said those who will miss out have a chance to feature in other senior events like the World Cross Country Championships and Olympic Games. Korir asked the eligible athletes to train and stay in shape and not to lose focus.
