By Teddy Nwanunobi
Nairobi, Kenya’s capital, on Tuesday, beat off competition from London, Munich, and Rome to become the first African city to host the World Athletics Championships (WCH).
According to the announcement by the World Athletics, the 2027 event has already been awarded to Beijing, China, while Munich, Germany will host the championships in 2031 edition of the championships for the third time, after Kenya in 2029.
After a council meeting in Budapest, Hungary, host to the recently concluded Ultimate Championship, on Monday and Tuesday, the track and field’s governing body said in a statement on Tuesday that the decision was confirmed during the 242nd World Athletics Council Meeting.
The World Athletics President, Sebastian Coe, said both Nairobi and Munich put forward strong bids to win the hosting rights.
“Nairobi and Munich have been selected to host the 2029 and 2031 World Athletics Championships, respectively, following one of the strongest bidding processes in the history of the sport’s flagship event.
“The decision, made during the 242nd World Athletics Council Meeting in Budapest on Monday and Tuesday (14-15), means that the World Athletics Championships will be held in Africa for the first time when the Kenyan capital stages the 2029 edition, before returning to Germany for a third time two years later, this time in Munich’s iconic Olympic Stadium,” Coe said.
He said the announcement showed the organisation’s commitment to hosting the championships in Asia, Africa, and Europe over its next three editions.
“We were fortunate to have four outstanding bids for 2029 and 2031, and this was not an easy decision for the Council. 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,” he added.
After bidding unsuccessfully to stage the 2025 championships, which were awarded to Tokyo, Nairobi returned with a stronger proposal for 2029, backed by nearly a decade of experience hosting major international athletics events, including the 2017 World U18 Championships and the Kip Keino Classic.