New Delhi, Sep 15 (IANS) World Athletics Championships will head to Africa for the first time as Nairobi has been chosen as the host for the 2029 edition of the biennial event, while German city Munich will be hosting the 2031 World Athletics Championships.

The decision was made during the 242nd World Athletics Council Meeting in Budapest as London lost its bid to host the 2029 event. Kenyan capital Nairobi edged past other bidders Rome, Munich and London for the 2029 edition.

“We were fortunate to have four outstanding bids for 2029 and 2031, and this was not an easy decision for the Council,” said World Athletics President Sebastian Coe. “The quality, ambition and commitment demonstrated by all four candidates underline the strength and global appeal of the World Athletics Championships.

“With this Council decision today, we continue to fulfil our mission of growing athletics worldwide with the hosting of our World Athletics Championships in Asia, Africa and Europe over its next three editions.

“Nairobi and Munich ultimately presented two compelling propositions. They offer very different but equally exciting opportunities for our sport, and I am delighted that we can now begin working with both cities to stage two world-class championships,” Coe added.

African nations have been hosting several multinational events in the past. Uganda’s Kampala hosted the World Cross Country Championships in 2017, before Nairobi played host to the World U18 Championships in the same year.

Gaborone in Botswana hosted the World Athletics Relays earlier this year, which was the first edition of that event to be held in Africa. However, this will be the first time that the World Athletics Championships, athletics’ biggest event after the Olympics, will take place in an African nation.

Meanwhile, London was reportedly seen as a frontrunner for the 2029 edition after being in back-and-forth with West Ham for the event to take place at the London Stadium. West Ham argued that it had priority over the stadium during the football season but were later satisfied. However, the venue did not get a nod for the 2029 event.

Kenya is the second-most successful nation in the World Athletics Championships history. “Nairobi presented a compelling and emotional bid, and taking the World Athletics Championships to Africa for the first time will be historic,” said Coe.

“Kenya is one of the great athletics nations. The sport is woven into the fabric of the country, and athletes such as world gold medallists Faith Kipyegon, Vivian Cheruiyot, Eliud Kipchoge, Hellen Obiri and David Rudisha, as well as two-time Olympic champion Kip Keino, multiple world cross-country champion Paul Tergat and multiple world half marathon champion Tegla Loroupe, have shaped the history of our sport.

“It was important that the World Athletics Championships 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.”

Meanwhile, Germany will be hosting the World Athletics Championships for the third time, with Munich’s Olympic Stadium set to play host for the 2031 event. “Germany has proved time and again that it is an outstanding and dependable host for major athletics events,” said Coe. “Berlin 2009 remains one of the memorable editions of the World Championships, and we have since seen tremendous support for the sport at the European Championships in Berlin and Munich.

“We wholeheartedly believe in the vision for Munich Olympiapark – one of the iconic venues in world sport – to merge the German people’s enthusiasm for athletics with the special flair of an art and culture festival to create a unique and powerful overall experience. The atmosphere in 2022 was exceptional, and the attendance figures demonstrated the appetite that exists in the city and across Germany for major events.

“The Olympiapark is also a symbol of sustainability, and we are assured that this will be a core value in the planning and implementation of the World Championships, aligned with international best practices and the Athletics for a Better World Gold Event standard.”

The World Athletics Championships will next take place in Beijing on 10-19 September 2027. Both Nairobi 2029 and Munich 2031 will also take place in September in line with the objective for the global athletics calendar to reach its climax at the end of the season with a major global championship.

–IANS

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