The 2022 World Athletics U20 Championships — also known as the World Junior Championships — begins on August 2 and concludes on August 7 at the Estadio Olímpico Pascual Guerrero in Cali, Colombia.
This year's showpiece is meant for athletes born after January 1, 2003, and athletes born between 2003 and 2006 comprise the bulk of the pack.
Cali will be hosting the championship for the second time in history, having won similar rights earlier in 2015.
Team Kenya will be out to retain the title they won in August last year following a resplendent performance in Nairobi ΩΩwhere they scooped three gold medals on the last day of the competition at Moi Stadium, Kasarani.
Kenya finished the championships with 17 medals (eight gold, two silver and seven bronze) to top the standings and retain the overall title.
In the preceding event, Kenya romped to the winner's podium after accumulating 11 medals (six gold, four silver, one bronze) in Tampere, Finland in 2018.
Athletics Kenya (AK) president Lt. Gen (Rtd) Jackson Tuwei reckons the country has picked the right personnel to replicate the historic feats.
The athletics body settled on a strong team of 29 athletes to fly the county’s flag in the biennial championships after a rigorous two-day selection process at the national trials that concluded at Nyayo Stadium on July 2.
The team is expected to report to a residential camp in the coming days to spruce up for the task ahead.
World Under-20 10,000m walk champion Heristone Wanyonyi headlines the star-studded list after cruising to an easy victory in the trials.
Wanyonyi rose to the limelight after dazzling the world with his sublime form that saw him become the first Kenyan to bag a world title after timing 43:16.1 — slightly over a minute faster than his closest challenger Stephen Ndakili who clocked 44:16.3.
Also in the team is Purity Chepkirui, 19, a vibrant 1500 metres specialist who bagged gold at the Nairobi edition a couple of years back.
While urging them to make the country proud, Tuwei warned the youngsters of the abrasive battle expected ahead.
“When you hear anything that has to do with the world, it is not as simple as you think. Everyone has prepared well. They are aware you are the defending champions and so must prepare adequately. Listen and work closely with your coaches to prepare well,” Tuwei said.
AK youth sub-committee chairman, Barnaba Korir is convinced Team Kenya have sharpened their claws well enough to fend off any level of competition likely to be posed by the so-called superpowers.
“Last year, we managed to defend our title here at home after defeating some of the most feared competitors in the world. That was made possible by the close working relationship between the government and AK who established camps around the country. We were even able to send a group of sprinters to Miramas for a training camp,” Korir said.
Here at home, we wish our athletes all the best as they take another stab at the coveted world title given their success will open up many more opportunities for future generations.
