After many days spent counting down to August 17, the World Athletics Under 20 Championship finally starts this morning. Much like the 2020 Tokyo Olympics early this month, for a time, it seemed as if the games would fall through as the coronavirus continued to ravage the country and the world at large.
However, the local organising committee, in conjunction with other stakeholders, have worked round the clock to make the biennial championships a reality. A visit to the Moi Stadium, Kasarani – although you will need accreditation for that – lays bare the fruits of their labour for the past year.
The stadium has undergone a rapid facelift in line with the befitting world-class status of the World Under 20. Apart from painting it to give it a vivacious look, it is emblazoned with images of Jabari, the official mascot of the championship.
“Having the event pushed forward from last year gave us more time to prepare for the championships. Granted, there are a few challenges — most notably the Covid-19 virus. I mean, early last year there was no conversation about coronavirus in relation to the event but all that has changed for this year. However, the 12 extra months provided us with a grace period to understand the dynamics at play and prepare adequately,” says Local Organising Committee Cheif Executive Mike Rabar.
Sports Kenya Director General Pius Metto says all arrangements have been made in all areas to ensure the comfort of every person attending the event, including athletes, officials, journalists and volunteers.
For athletes, a warm-up area and the gymnasium have been furnished to cater for all their training needs.
"Initially, we did not have a steeplechase jump in the warm-up area but that has now been put up. The pole vault facility and the javelin runway have also been improved to enable the athletes to train at the highest level," Metto said.
Inside the main stadium, the running track has been repainted and the lanes marked out afresh. The seats have been refurnished and rebranded with the colours of the national flag.
"Many of the seats were worn out but we have refurbished and rebranded them with colours of the Kenyan flag. This is to portray who we are and our identity as a country," Metto says.
Team arrivals
Another activity pivotal to the success of the championships has been the reception of foreign teams and booking them into their designated accommodations.
Volunteers engaged by the LOC have been spending cold nights and long days at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport to welcome the over 900 athletes from 117 federations to the country.
Poland were the first to arrive and immediately fell in love with Kenya.
"Before or after the championship, I would like to go for a safari drive at the Nairobi National Park. It is my first time in Africa and would like to make the most of it," Polish javelin thrower Eryk Kolodziejczak said on arrival.
Even with the competitive spirit in the atmosphere, it was heartwarming to see Team Kenya interact with their junior Polish counterparts at the warm-up area — getting to know each other and even taking selfies.
"Yes, they are very friendly and accommodative. The only problem is the language barrier because the English they speak has a heavy accent," says Kenyan triple jumper Dennis Maina.
No spectators
One major heartbreak surrounding the event has been the decision to hold it behind closed doors. With the success of the World Under 18 Championships at the same venue in 2017, many would have been smacking their lips in anticipation of another record attendance.
However, due to the risk of the championships turning into a Covid-19 super spreader, no spectators will be allowed in the stadium but this is not to mean they cannot recreate the carnival mood in their respective locations.
With the massive growth of smartphones and internet technology within the Kenyan population, they can still cheer on their favourite athletes from the comfort of their living rooms.
World Athletics' production team — as well as other broadcasters — have been busy at the stadium setting up the production technologies to ensure seamless transmission of the event via online and terrestrial platforms.
For those privileged to attend the championships, there is the tradeoff of having your nose 'excavated' in search of a sample for the antigen Covid-19 test. In the past one week, there have been long queues of people lining up for the test.
David Karuri, the consultant surgeon for the World Under 20 LOC, says strict adherence to coronavirus prevention measures is at the top of his to-do list.
"We have come up with zoning plans, including green, amber and red. Those in the green zone will stay in a bubble whereas those in the amber zone are allowed to go back home to their families. However, they will have to be tested every day, "Karuri says.
Tight security
When it comes to security, nothing has been left to chance. Last week, while on an inspection tour of the facility, Inspector General of Police Hillary Mutyambai said they have deployed a record number of security officers to ensure the event proceeds unhitched.
Although he declined to disclose the exact number of police officers on sight, it is clear to see that much human and material resources have been expended to enhance smooth flow of activities.
From the National Police Service to the Kenya Defence Forces and to the National Youth Service, every disciplined force is represented.
"We have deployed a good number of officers from all sectors because we are hosting a world event and we want an incident-free event. For every five people you see, four will be police officers," Mutyambai said.
Not only that but also CCTV cameras have been installed at all corners of the stadium to ensure every suspicious activity is monitored and nipped in the bud.
"We have also installed fire detectors as well as hand luggage scanners, which will be used to scan every person before they enter the main stadium," Metto says.
A security feature, which has been a thorn in the flesh for many, has been the use of accreditation cards to access the main stadium. Using a unique scan code, one is required to tap the card onto a scan machine to gain entry.
Despite the frustrations many have experienced with this, Karuri insists it is a necessary measure to ensure only those who have fulfilled the conditions for attending the event are admitted into the main stadium.
"What we are trying do is to ensure all persons within the event and within the services provided are all safe and Covid-free. My partners in security will not allow you to go through any gate without any accreditation so I suggest you get it sorted out," Karuri says.
Challenges abound
With the pandemic period, little wonder that one of the challenges faced in organising this event has been the coronavirus. Karuri admits the emergence of different strains of the virus every day has been problematic for them.
Furthermore, there were hitches with the arrivals of technical equipment to be used at the championships.
Ibrahim Hussein, technical director World Under 20, says the uniqueness of the event posed a big headache for them.
"Being an Under 20 event, there are specific technical equipment for the juniors in this age category. We experienced a bit of a challenge with this but, luckily, managed to order and ship them in by time," Hussein says.
As the games commence, all those involved in the preparations will undoubtedly be heaving a sigh of relief and counting their blessings as they look back on how far they have come.
With five more days to go before the championships culminates, there is still much work to be done to steer the event successfully and make it memorable for all the right reasons.
