Uhuru spoils U-18 team with Sh7.6m reward, plus Mombasa holiday treat
President Uhuru Kenyatta on Friday awarded the IAAF U-18 Team Kenya with sh100, 000 each and sent them on a four day trip to the coast.
The team of 42 atheletes and 32 officials will travel to the coastal city via Madaraka Express.
The President hosted the team for breakfast at State House, Nairobi, where he announced the four-day holiday treat at the Mombasa Beach Hotel starting Saturday.
“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,” President Kenyatta said.
The Kenyan team won 15 medals: Four gold, seven silver and four bronze and fourth behind South Africa, China and Cuba.
President Kenyatta also commended Kenyan officials and organizers for making the global event a success.
“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 organizational capacity,” President Kenyatta said.
The President assured that his administration will 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.
