Absa kits Team Kenya ahead of World U-20 Championships

Athletics Kenya’s Director for Youth and Development, Barnabas Korir, has said the private sector has a major role to play in supplementing the government’s effort geared towards nurturing athletics talent locally.

Speaking on Friday at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani, where Absa Bank Kenya presented kits to Team Kenya athletes who will compete in the 2022 World Athletics Under-20 Championships from August 1-6 in Cali, Colombia, Korir said the private sector needed to participate more in developing athletics in Kenya.

“Although the government supports the federation, private partnerships like the one we have with Absa Bank Kenya are important in developing local sports, especially athletics,” Korir said.

All athletes in the 28-man Team Kenya, who have been in residential camp at Kasarani since July 7, were kitted as part of Absa’s Sh12 million deal with Athletics Kenya that covers preparation of Kenya’s national teams to the 2022 World Championships and the World Under-20 Championships.

Out of the Sh12 million sponsorship, Sh9 million was given in cash and another Sh3 million in kind. The Kenya Under-20 athletes were due to travel to Colombia later Friday.

“Absa Bank Kenya has supported us during the World Athletics Continental Tour (Kip Keino Classic) as well as during the national trials ahead of the 2022 World Athletics Championships, and the World Athletics Under-20 Championships, and we are very grateful to Absa’s leadership for the support extended to us. We look forward to more of such partnerships for the benefit of more athletes,” he said.

At the same time, Korir said that although there were not many sprinters in the team that will compete in Cali starting Monday, AK will take steps to nurture young athletes in the sprints and field events to diversify sources of medals for Kenya in championships.

“Although we don’t have sprinters (100m and 200m runners) in the team heading to Colombia, one athlete (triple jumper Winny Chepngétich who will also double up in the long jump) qualified in the field events. We hope to nurture more athletes in these areas,” he said.

Korir said younger members of the Kenyan team will benefit immensely from the inclusion of some of the experienced athletes in the team.

“The presence of athletes like (800m runner) Noah Kibet and (1,500m runner) Reynold Kipkorir is a blessing for the team. The other members of the squad will learn from them. For such athletes to agree to come and compete for us and to give something back to the country shows patriotism because one could have easily chosen to run in the Diamond League. It gives other athletes confidence,” he said.

Head of Communications and Citizenship at Absa Bank Kenya, Charles Wokabi, said: “We entered a broader partnership with Athletics Kenya that covered the trials of the World Championships, and the World Athletics Under-20 Championships."

"Part of that partnership made us official partners of the Kenya Under-20 team, and that is why we are here to make sure they travel comfortably. The total sponsorship was Sh12 million, and Athletics Kenya has apportioned that money proportionately between the teams.”