• Gold medallists will pocket Sh600,000 while silver and bronze medallists will receive Sh350,000 and Sh150,000 respectively.
• The Kenyan U20 team is led by captains Edmund Serem, the African 3,000m steeplechase silver medallist, and Sarah Moraa, the African 800m champion.
Image: TEDDY MULEI
For the first time, Kenyan medallists at the World U20 Championships will receive cash rewards, Cabinet Secretary Sports Kipchumba Murkomen has announced.
Murkomen spoke when he handed the national flag to Team Kenya to the World Under 20 Championships in Lima, Peru, later next week.
Gold medallists will pocket Sh600,000 while silver and bronze medallists will receive Sh350,000 and Sh150,000 respectively.
“We're introducing cash rewards for athletes who bring home medals from Lima," said the CS.
"Gold medallists will get Sh500,000, with an extra Sh100,000 from me, while silver and bronze medallists will receive Sh350,000 and Sh150,000.”
The Kenyan U20 team is led by captains Edmund Serem, the African 3,000m steeplechase silver medallist, and Sarah Moraa, the African 800m champion.
World U20 Cross Country champion Ishmael Kipkurui, 2023 Commonwealth Youth Games 3,000m silver medallist Andrew Alamisi and African U18 2,000m steeplechase bronze medallist Diana Chepkemoiare also in the mix.
Murkomen urged the team to go for as many medals as possible.
“We wish you the very best as you go out to compete. We look forward to you coming home with all sorts of medals, and, if possible, every medal,” the CS added.
Murkomen also emphasised the importance of the youth camps established by Athletics Kenya (AK) in collaboration with the Ministry of Sports.
“I thank the PS Peter Tum and the previous CS (Ababu Namwamba) as well as AK for focusing on grassroots talent identification over the past few years,” he said.
“As a ministry, we will establish more sports academies across the country in order to identify and nurture these talents.”
He urged the athletes to represent Kenya with pride.
“When you leave the country, you are all ambassadors of Kenya. Compete with excellence, but also carry our nation’s brand with you.”
AK President Jackson Tuwei highlighted the significance of the championships as a stepping stone for young athletes aiming for elite-level success.
“As you prepare to go to the seniors, you are going to test yourselves at the U20. The whole world is there. Go and do your best with no fear, you have trained and prepared for this,” Tuwei noted.
He cited examples of top athletes who launched their careers at the U20 championships, including World 800m record holder David Rudisha, three-time Olympic 1,500m champion Faith Kipyegon and Olympic 800m champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi.
“There are a lot of athletes who have become successful from this championship. Athletes like Rudisha, Kipyegon and the second fastest athlete over the 800m Wanyonyi,” Tuwei stated.
Rudisha won the U20 title in Beijing 2006 with a time of 1:47.40, while Kipyegon claimed the 1,500m title in Barcelona 2012 with a course record of 4:04.96.
Wanyonyi set a course record of 1:43.76 during the 2021 championships in Nairobi.
“All these great athletes came through the U20 championships and (have) gone on to succeed in the seniors,” Tuwei said.
“We thank the ministry and government for helping us establish these youth academies. We look forward to developing even more young talents,” he concluded.