Athletics Kenya (AK) Youth and Development Committee Secretary Joseph Ilovi has expressed confidence that Kenya will defend the World Under 20 Championships title for the third consecutive time in Cali, Colombia from August 2-6 this year.

Ilovi said the team will be seeking her third title in a row after winning in 2018 Tampere, Finland where they bagged a total of 11 medals (six gold, four silver and a bronze) and in Nairobi last year where the medal haul stood at 16 (eight gold, one silver and seven bronze).   

Speaking ahead of the national trials for the 2022 World Under-20 Athletics Championships that start on Friday at the Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi, Ilovi said all the necessary preparations have been made for the event.

“We have done all the entries as per the races and I can assure you it is going to be competitive and epic. We expect seven World under-20 medalists to battle for slots during the national trials,” Ilovi added.

Two-day trials

“We shall definitely pick the very best team available,” Ilovi said while referring to the exercise where 14 regions will compete in the two-days trials that will see AK pick two athletes from each event for the world junior competition.

Ilovi further tanked the government for supporting the preparations in various ways including financing April holiday youth camps in various parts of the country.

“The camps had been supported by the government of Kenya through the Ministry of Sports and as a youth committee we are impressed because this is where we get world record holders and world-beaters of tomorrow,” said Ilovi.

Meanwhile, world Under 20 1500m champion Purity Chepkirui who will be representing the South Rift region said her intention is to defend her global title.

“I have a task to prove that winning last year was not a fluke, so I have no other job than winning again,” said Chepkurui ahead of the trials.

Champions Benson Kiplagat (5000m) of South Rift and Heristone Wanyonyi (walk) of Nairobi will grace the trials.