Rukare backs Kenya’s 2029 World Athletics Championships bid

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Rukare backs Kenya’s 2029 World Athletics Championships bid

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Commonwealth Sport President Donald Rukare has

backed Kenya’s bid to host the 2029 World Athletics Championships, saying the

country has the sporting heritage and experience to stage the global event.

Speaking in Nairobi during the launch of the

ANOCA Zone 5 Youth Games, Rukare congratulated Kenya for taking up the

challenge of hosting major international competitions, saying the country’s

ability to nurture young athletes should also be matched by opportunities to

host events at the highest level.

Rukare said the Zone 5 Youth Games will help

develop the next generation of athletes who could eventually compete at major

championships, including the World Athletics Championships and the Olympic

Games.

“This is the incubator, mainly because

we believe that the future athletes and the future champions come from these

kind of games,” said Rukare

Rukare said hosting competitions such as the

Zone 5 Games is important in building the experience and environment needed to

develop athletes and stage bigger international events.

He also praised the National Olympic Committee

of Kenya (NOC-K) for accepting to host the Zone 5 Games, saying ANOCA Zone 5

could not have made a better choice.

“We are very thrilled and excited that

Kenya NOC accepted the offer to host the ANOCA Zone 5 games,” he added.

The Commonwealth Sport president also

congratulated Kenya for its performance at the recent games in Glasgow, saying the young athletes competing in Nairobi should view the Games as the

beginning of a longer journey that could take them to the Youth Olympics in

Dakar and eventually the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.

“Some of the young people that will be

participating in the games will get inspired to go ahead and become champions

in their respective disciplines,” he said

Kenya has formally submitted its bid to host the 2029 World Athletics Championships in Nairobi, with Kasarani Stadium proposed as the main venue and the bid is now in the final stages, with World Athletics expected to announce the host city in September 2026.

Reporting originally appeared via Citizen Digital. Read the full source for additional context.