Uhuru congratulates winners of the 2020 Kip Keino Classic

 

President Uhuru Kenyatta has congratulated winners of the inaugural World Athletics Continental Tour Gold series Kip Keino Classic held today at the Nyayo National Stadium.

Uhuru has also appreciated all participants for taking part in the Nairobi edition of the World Athletics Continental Tour 2020 event.

He added that Kenya's successful hosting of the global athletics meet was a testament to the country's strong profile as a sporting powerhouse.

"We are excited to have successfully hosted this auspicious international athletics event in Nairobi despite the disruptions caused by Covid-19,” Uhuru said.

He continued that;

"To all the participants in the track and field events at today's World Athletics Continental Tour 2020, Kip Keino Classic, you are all winners. You are winners because you took the bold step to compete despite the current global health crisis.”

The event was graced by Deputy President William Ruto and the ODM party leader Raila Odinga among other leaders.

Uhuru, who is still away in France on an official visit to the European nation thanked the World Athletics for choosing Nairobi as one of the ten world cities to host the inaugural championship.

"By choosing Nairobi to be one of the ten host cities of this prestigious championship, World Athletics has once again demonstrated that it is a dependable sporting partner of Kenya,” he said.

The president also extended his appreciation to the organisers of the event.

"To the local organising committee led by Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed and the President of Athletics Kenya Gen (Rtd) Jackson Tuwei and your various teams, congratulations for a job well done.”

Nairobi is the only African city selected to host the 2020 edition of the annual one-day event. Other cities are Tokyo (Japan), Nanjing (China), Ostrava (Czech Republic), Hengelo (The Netherlands), Turku (Finland), Kingston (Jamaica), Szekesfehervar (Hungary), Silesia (Poland) and Zagreb (Croatia).

While speaking during the reopening of the refurbished Nyayo Stadium last week, Uhuru promised to push through the upgrading of several other sporting facilities across the country to international standards.