President Uhuru Kenyatta has feted the Kenyan team after the just concluded International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) World Under-18 Championships that was held in Nairobi.He congratulated the team, saying the young athletes have made Kenya proud, after placing Kenya position four, after bagging 15 medals.The Kenyan team four gold, seven silver and four bronze, coming fourth behind South Africa, China and Cuba which took first, second and third positions respectively.“You have made our country proud. That week of the IAAF Championships put Kenya on the map as the event brought together teams from across the globe. You have Marketed our country. The number of people who turned out to watch the event tells about what you did for the country,” Kenyatta said, Friday, at State House, Nairobi, when he received back the national flag from the team.
Uhuru also commended Kenyan officials and organisers for making the global event successful, saying they proved to the world that Kenya is capable of hosting international championships.“This shows that Kenya can host major sporting events. We are the home of athletics. We are the home of champions. From the feedback I have received from participants from different parts of the world, they marveled at our organisational capacity,” Kenyatta said.He assured that his administration would continue supporting sports to ensure the youth benefit from their talents.Sports, Culture and Arts Cabinet Secretary Hassan Wario said adoption of the camp system where the youth athletes resided in camps helped to improve their performance.