Athletics Kenya President Jackson Tuwei credited the long history of Kenyan performance by its athletes as the reason why Kenya won the bid to host the 2029 World Athletics Championships.
On Monday evening, upon his return from the World Athletics Road Racing Championships, Tuwei said the World Athletics Council’s decision was a reward for decades of excellence by Kenyan runners on the global stage.
“I want to thank our athletes. Without the names our athletes have built, and what they have done, this would not have been possible,” said Tuwei.
“From the beginning in the 1950’s, we have shown the world that Kenya is strong, and it will continue being strong.”
“What else can we do to convince people that this institution called Athletics Kenya is working?”
Tuwei also cited Kenya’s successful staging of previous global events as proof that the nation is ready for athletics’ biggest showpiece.
“Athletics Kenya started hosting championships in 2007 during the World Cross Country Championships, and in 2017 we hosted the World U18 Championships.”
“In 2021 we hosted the World U20 Championships. The only one remaining was this World Championships,” he added.
The successful bid is not only for Kenya but for the entire African continent, according to Sebastian Coe, president of World Athletics.
“I want to thank World Athletics for believing in Kenya because this is not just a victory for Kenya; it is a triumph for the whole of Africa. Today, everyone is talking about Africa,” he said.
With the celebrations still fresh, Tuwei was quick to stress that the real race has only just begun, saying preparations for Nairobi 2029 start immediately.
Not everyone is in favour of Kenya hosting a global championship just yet.
For example, British journalist Matt Lawton came out against the idea citing Kenya’s doping problem.
Lawton argued that Kenya should not host yet because the nation remains tainted by recent doping scandals and needs more time to rebuild trust in its athletics integrity program. He believed London should have received the hosting rights instead, viewing it as a major missed economic opportunity for British athletics.
While it is true that Kenya has a major doping problem and therefore may not be the best choice for now. World Athletics wants to diversify the hosting opportunities, and Africa is the next frontier. Nairobi is likely the best place to host in Africa at this time, given its history of performance and love for the sport. Furthermore, while London would be a terrific choice, so is Munich, which was awarded the 3031 meet at the same time.
“All Kenyans, particularly the athletics family, let us encourage ourselves and work together. We have not done this before, but let’s believe we can do this. We have the ability, we have the energy and the courage to do this.”
Tuwei also gave praise for President William Ruto, saying his strong backing of the bid helped sway the World Athletics Council.
“I want to give special thanks to His Excellency President William Ruto for coming out so strongly in support of our bid to host the 2029 World Athletics Championships.”
“That made a huge difference. He spoke, and the World Athletics Council listened.”
