Poland yesterday became the first country to land in Kenya ahead of the World Athletics Under- 20 Championships that gets underway at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani on August 17.

The team of 36, arrived from Warsaw, exactly a week to the biennual event that was initially planned for last year before it was delayed by a year due to Covid-19 crisis.

As was the case in the just concluded Tokyo Games, teams will arrive in Nairobi in batches so as to ease the Covid-19 testing procedures upon arrival in Nairobi.

The Polish contingent arrived in two batches, the first batch made up of 21 members arrived on Monday night while 15 more were due to jet in early this morning.

Up to 115 countries will be gracing the championship, with organizers stating that the number of participating countries was good, given the fact that the pandemic had continued to ravage the sports sector.

“Teams have been divided into small travel parties in order to manage the risks if covid-19 infections as well as as in accordance with other guidelines out in place by the organisers,” a member of the Local Organising Committee LOC told People Sport.

Host nation Kenya is keen to defend the World under 20 Championships slated for August 17-22.

Kenya is focused on retaining the global title they won at the 2018 Championships held in Tampere, Finland.

They topped the global medal standings with six gold, four silver and one bronze.

The Central European country on the other hand was ranked 38th with a total of two medals both bronze.