Safaricom Sponsors Kenya & Africa’s First World Athletics Under 20 Championships

Athletes participate in the 2021 World Athletics Under 20 Championships at the Safaricom Stadium Kasarani
Athletes participate in the 2021 World Athletics Under 20 Championships at the Safaricom Stadium Kasarani
File

Telecommunications giant Safaricom PLC has sponsored the 2021 World Athletics Under 20 Championships that is currently underway in Kenya. The games which commenced on August 18 will end on Sunday, August 22. 

Safaricom is one of Kenya’s largest supporters and sponsors of sporting events. The telco has transformed lives through various Assets & Sponsorships. These include Safaricom Athletics Series, Safaricom Sevens, Chapa Dimba and World Athletics U18 Championships.  

The 2021 World Athletics Under 20 Championships event - a first for Kenya and Africa - is being hosted at the Safaricom Stadium Kasarani (also known as Moi International Sports Centre with over 1600 athletes participating in 45 events across track and field sports. 

Kenya’s position as a global sports hosting country will be elevated through showcasing local sporting talent and hospitality, enhancing various brands in the country and driving economic growth through trade, tourism, and investment. 

The event also provides an ample opportunity for Kenya to bid for the 2025 World Athletics Championships.  

The 2021 World Athletics Under 20 ChampionshipsIn 2021 further boosts Kenya’s reputation as one of the best sporting nations. 

Kenya selected its team for the World Athletics U20 Championships following the Kenyan U20 Championships held in July 2021 at Moi International Sports Centre. 

African U20 1500m champion Vincent Keter, African U18 3000m champion Zena Jemutai Yego and African U18 800m silver medallist Sheila Chepkosgei are among the athletes on the team.

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First Lady Margaret Kenyatta at the launch of the 2021 World Athletics Under 20 Championships at the Safaricom Stadium Kasarani
PSCU

The 2021 World Athletics Under 20 Championships has come four years after Kenya hosted a similar event,  the IAAF (now World Athletics) World U18 championship in July 2017. 

The five-day global showpiece saw a record attendance of 60,000 spectators at the championship in each of the final two days. This was the highest number of spectators ever recorded in a World U18 athletics championship. 

This year, Kenya hosted and saw the return of the WRC Safari Rally for the first time in 19 years too.  

Safaricom sponsored three Kenyan youth under the age of 26 years, Jeremy Wahome, McRae Mutwiri Kimathi and Hamza Anwar in the WRC Safari Rally. 

The three joined 58 rally drivers. including 34 Kenyan racers, who participated in this year’s edition which took place between June 24 and June 27, 2021.

Safaricom’s Ksh15 million sponsorship was part of the FIA Rally Star programme. CEO Peter Ndegwa, in a statement, noted that the programme was launched to support the upcoming rally championship that suffered over 2-decade hiatus while empowering the youth.

The company was also a supportive partner as Kenya sent a formidable athletics team to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics & Paralympics.