Kenyan capital to host Africa’s first Athletics Worlds, beating bids from London, Munich and Rome.
Published On ۱۵ Sep ۲۰۲۶
Nairobi will host the World Athletics Championships in ۲۰۲۹, beating off competition from London, Munich and Rome to become the first African hosts, World Athletics has announced.
The ۲۰۳۱ championships will be held in Munich, track and field’s governing body said after a council meeting on Tuesday in Budapest, host to the recently concluded Ultimate Championship.
“We were fortunate to have four outstanding bids for ۲۰۲۹ and ۲۰۳۱, and this was not an easy decision for the Council,” World Athletics president Sebastian Coe told a press conference.
The ۲۰۲۷ event has already been awarded to Beijing.
“This council decision today means we’re able to deliver our World Athletics Championships in Asia, Africa, and Europe over its next three editions,” the Briton added.
“Taking our championships to Africa for the first time will be historic. Nairobi has presented a compelling and emotional bid.”
Coe added: “It was important that the world championship should come to Africa when we had the right host, the right bid, and the right circumstances.
“Nairobi has demonstrated emphatically that this is their moment to supercharge the development of our sport in Kenya and across Africa, leaving a compelling legacy that inspires a continent.”
Kenya, which failed with a bid for the ۲۰۲۵ world championships, has previously hosted the ۲۰۰۷ World Cross Country Championships in Mombasa, the World Under-۱۸ Championships in Nairobi in ۲۰۱۷, and the World Under-۲۰ Championships in the capital in ۲۰۲۱.
Nairobi also staged the ۲۰۱۰ African Athletics Championships.
“Having also been part of the bidding process for ۲۰۲۵, the (Nairobi) team understood and grasped what was required, and came back with a stronger proposition, and a renovated Kasarani Stadium, which is currently undergoing a complete overhaul ahead of hosting the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) ۲۰۲۷,” said Coe.
