Kip Keino meet moved to Kasarani Stadium
The second edition of the Kip Keino Classic Continental Tour meeting will be staged at the Moi International Sports Center, Kasarani on September 18.
The annual event which is part of the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold series will move from the Nyayo National Stadium that hosted the inaugural event last year.
While addressing the press on Friday at Kasarani, meet director Barnaba Korir said: "We intend to retain some implements which we are using in the ongoing World Under 20 Championships. That's why we decided to have the event at Kasarani."
He said the organisers are still in talks with the Kenyan government to allow up to 20,000 fans in the stadium.
"We have put in place all Covid-19 containment measures as required by the Ministry of Health," added Korir.
Korir said a stellar field of athletes including Olympic champions is expected to attend the event with 3,000m steeplechase Olympic champion Soufianne El Bakkali among having already been confirmed for the one-day event.
“We expect a huge field of athletes from across the world to attend the event. More athletes will confirm their participation after the Eugene Diamond League leg this weekend,” Korir added.
Korir was accompanied by World Athletics Chief Executive Officer Jon Ridgeon, Olympic 800 semifinalist Mary Moraa, and former 1,500m junior champion Kumari Taki.
Ridgeon said World Athletics is keen to have more silver and bronze continental tour events in Africa.
Ridgeon saying after the Wanda Diamond League final in Zurich, the tour will resume in September with stops in Silesia, Poland and the Croatian capital Zagreb before concluding, once again, with the Kip Keino Classic in Nairobi, a meeting which made a successful debut in 2020.
Moraa and Taki encouraged foreign athletes to grace the global event.
The event is the only leg of the Continental Tour Gold meeting series to be held in Africa in 2021. It is also the12th and final meeting of the prestigious series this year.
The Continental Tour Gold series of world-class one-day meetings crosses four continents and features several world leading athletes.
