World Athletics  has named Athletics Kenya as one of the nominees for the Member Federation Award, a special honour this year to recognise a national agency that has managed to deliver on uplifting athletics event, development event or other athletics achievement, in spite of the health and safety challenges it faced in 2020.

AK has been included in a group of six member federations for being able to adapt to the new circumstances caused by the global  Covid-19 pandemic  that shut down most of the sporting world in late March.

Despite nationwide lockdowns and other disruptions, the federation succeeded in organising and staging the Kip Keino Classic, the first World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meeting in Africa.

 Kenyan athletes also competed well internationally, sweeping the team titles at the 2020 World Athletics Half Marathon Championships in Gdynia, Poland, with women’s winner, Peres Jepchirchir, breaking the women-only race world record.

“We all know the difficulties that sport has faced during the pandemic but many of our member federations have risen to that challenge brilliantly and we wanted to acknowledge some of the exceptional work they have done to ensure that our sport continues to thrive in these very testing times,’’ World Athletics president Sebastian Coe said in a statement. 

“The commitment and creativity shown by our member federations demonstrates exactly why we are the world’s most global sport and I applaud their efforts,” added Coe.

Each Area Association was asked to nominate two member federations. A vote by the World Athletics Executive Board selected the six finalists, one from each Area Association.

Winner of the contest will be announced at the World Athletics Awards 2020 to be held virtually on Saturday, December 5 and streamed live on the World Athletics YouTube channel, Facebook and Twitter.

The six nominees, listed alphabetically, are:

Athletics Kenya (Confederation of African Athletics) Despite nationwide lockdowns and other disruptions, the federation succeeded in organising and staging the Kip Keino Classic, the first World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meeting in Africa.

Kenyan athletes also competed well internationally, sweeping the team titles at the World Athletics Half Marathon Championships Gdynia 2020 with women’s winner, Peres Jepchirchir, breaking the women-only race world record. Athletics New Zealand (Oceania Athletics Association)