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The logo for the World Athletics U20 Championships Nairobi 2020 was unveiled at a ceremony in the Kenyan capital on Thursday (5).
Amina Mohamed, Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Sports, unveiled the logo in front of guests that included Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Sports Joe Okudo, Athletics Kenya President Gen. Jackson Tuwei and ambassadors representing different embassies in Kenya.
The design celebrates the people of Kenya and the nation and represents uniting the world through athletics, bringing everyone together in Nairobi, known as the green city in the sun.
“We began this journey two years ago when we won the bid to host the event in Tampere, Finland, and we remain on course to offer the world another successful event - just as the case with the 2017 world under-18 show,” Amina said, referring to the World U18 Championships hosted by Nairobi that year. “We are aware this is the advanced level of the Under-18 championships but I want to assure all of you that we are ready to host the world.”
Amina said that the Kenyan government is regularly updated on the preparations of the championships and that challenges are addressed as they arise.
“As we speak, everything is on course,” Amina said. “I want to most sincerely thank the steering committee, which I chair, and the organising committee for ensuring that we are within the timelines as we await to host this prestigious event. At the moment we are burning the midnight oil to ensure that our venue, the Kasarani stadium and the athletes’ village at Kenyatta University are ready in good time.”
“The performances of our world-beating athletes have obviously played a key role in getting the hosting rights,” Okudo said. “Besides, our successful hosting of the IAAF under 18 championship showcased our capability and preparedness in terms of being good hosts. All said and done, I would like to state that the sports ministry has availed all the necessary resources to ensure we put up an impressive championship that we can all be proud of. I am happy to note that the steering and organising committees of this event are sparing no effort to ensure we are ready in good time.”
The logo for the World Athletics U20 Championships Nairobi 2020 has been unveiled 🇰🇪
— World Athletics (@WorldAthletics) March 5, 2020
The design celebrates uniting the world through athletics, bringing everyone together in Nairobi, known as the green city in the sun ☀
📰:https://t.co/PdqVhWjgyH pic.twitter.com/DNy7yPaWxS
Okudo also invited other potential sponsors to get behind the event.
“We urge corporate bodies to take this opportunity to support the event. It is not every day that Kenya hosts events of this magnitude and sponsoring the championships will be great for their businesses as people from all over the world will have the opportunity to sample their products.”
Tuwei said Kenya is ready to host more athletics events, noting that Nairobi will kick off the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meeting series on 2 May, two-and-a-half months before the World Athletics U20 Championships Nairobi 2020.
“As Athletics Kenya, the host association, we have started seeing signs of not only hosting a successful event, but hosting a bigger and better championships compared to 2017. We are not stopping there as many other events will follow.”
Organisers also launched the hash tag, #KaribuNairobi2020, to welcome the world to Nairobi in July for the championships.
Organisers for World Athletics
