President Uhuru Kenyatta Rewards IAAF 2017 WU18 Championship Team With Sh100,000 Each and 4-Day Trip

President Uhuru Kenyatta on Friday feted the Kenyan team to the just concluded International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) World Under-18 Championships held at Kasarani Stadium, Nairobi.

The President lavished an array of gifts to the team including Sh7.4 Million – Sh100,000 for each of the 42 athletes and 32 officials.

Kenyatta also gifted the champions a four-day holiday at the Mombasa Beach Hotel starting Saturday, besides issuing school fees and scholarships to all students in the team.

The team was hosted at State House where the President officially received back the national flag, signifying an official conclusion of the international event.

[caption caption="President Uhuru Kenyatta with Kenya's athletics WU18 team after he received back the national flag."][/caption]

President Kenyatta congratulated the team, saying the young athletes have made Kenya proud.

"You have made our country proud. That week of the IAAF Championships put Kenya on the map as the event brought together teams from across the globe. You have Marketed our country. The number of people who turned out to watch the event tells about what you did for the country," he commended.

The Kenyan team won 15 medals - four gold, seven silver and four bronze - coming fourth behind South Africa, China and Cuba which took first, second and third positions respectively.

President Kenyatta also commended Kenyan officials and organizers for making the global event successful, saying they proved to the world that Kenya is capable of hosting international championships.

"From the feedback I have received from participants from different parts of the world, they marvelled at our organizational capacity," President Kenyatta observed.

[caption caption="President Uhuru Kenyatta with the athletics WU18 team."][/caption]

Sports, Culture and Arts Cabinet Secretary Hassan Wario said adoption of the camp system where the youth athletes resided in camps helped to improve their performance.

Also Read: Uhuru Sponsors 4-Day Vacation for Journalists in Kenya

[caption caption="President Uhuru Kenyatta with Kenya's athletics WU18 team. "][/caption]