By John Kwoba
NAIROBI, July 26 (Xinhua) -- Kenya will know on Friday if it will host the 2020 World Under-20 Championships when the International Federation of Athletics Federations (IAAF) makes its final decision during its council meeting in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
KirimiKaberia, Principal Secretary for Sports, who is leading Kenya's bid said the event was "very important" to Kenya and had strong government support.
"I think we have a very strong team in Kenya," he said on Thursday. "Athletics is a very important part of our lives. Everyone loves athletics in Kenya. You saw it during the World Under-18 [tournament] and you will see it again in 2020."
Rashid Echesa, Sports Cabinet Secretary said on Wednesday he is optimistic the IAAF will grant Kenya the chance to stage the global junior championships.
Doha will host next year's IAAF World Championships with Eugene, USA, hosting the 2021 edition. Africa is a likely candidate to host the continent's first senior world championship in 2025.
After successfully hosting the World Under-18 Championships in Nairobi last year, with crowds of up to 60,000 in attendance, Kenya is one of the top destinations the IAAF is considering to host the next level of global competition.
"If we succeed with the World Under-20 [tournament] in 2020, we may even bid for the World Championships in 2025," said Tuwei.
Kenya will need over 200 million U.S. dollars to stage the event but Echesa confirmed the financial demands will not be a hindrance to the bid.
