“As patron of this championship, I am impressed by the diligence and determination of the young men and women who are here in Nairobi to participate in this event that has drawn sporting talent from over 100 countries,” the First Lady said as she opened the event
First Lady Margaret Kenyatta officially opened the World Under-20 Championships in a ceremony at the Moi Sports Centre Kasarani on Tuesday night, ushering in what is expected to be five days of intense competition as over 100 countries gather in the Kenyan capital for the biennial event.
The ceremony which lasted an hour and a half was conducted behind closed doors with only limited guests and participating athletes.
Different from the World Under-18 Championships in 2017, this year’s showpiece will be staged without fans due to the challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Despite the absence of an expected atmosphere at the 60,000 seater Kasarani Stadium, the First Lady is confident that kenya will host a wonderful event.
“As patron of this championship, I am impressed by the diligence and determination of the young men and women who are here in Nairobi to participate in this event that has drawn sporting talent from over 100 countries,” the First Lady said as she opened the event.
She added; “This is also a significant achievement for our continent because of the opportunity it affords different nations to position themselves as hosts of major world championships such as the one we are starting off today.”
There were few performances on the opening day, with renowned artist Nyashinsky making a five-minute presentation of the Championships’ theme song, Keep Jogging, which is a rendition of his hit song Marathon runner.
A short display of fireworks put a marker to the short ceremony as Kenya prepared to host another global showpiece.
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