Kenyan medalists in the just concluded Nairobi2017 World under 18 championships will market Kenya at the World Expo in Astana, Kazakhstan scheduled for August 28-September 1st.
The Export Promotion Council (EPC) chief executive officer Peter Biwott said the athletes will be in the Kazakhstani capital to market Kenya’s high altitude training facilities to the 150 countries worldwide participating in the expo.
He said the forum will also be used to showcase Kenya’s potential in hosting world athletics event as the country is preparing to bid for a leg of the IAAF Diamond League, the 2020 World Under 20 and the 2023 World Athletics Championships.
The athletes traveling to Astana are gold medalists George Meitemei Manangoi (1500m) a younger brother to the metric mile world champion Elijah Manangoi, Jalkine Wambui (800m) and Leonard Bett (2000m steeplechase).
The silver medalists are Lydia Jeruto (800m), Mercy Chepkirui (2000m steeplechase) and Immaculate Chepkirui (3000m).
The 800m men’s and 3000m bronze medalists Japheth Toroitich and Stanley Mburu Waithaka respectively have also been selected in the list.
Mary Moraa a student at Mogonga Mixed Secondary School in Kisii county who clocked 53.31 secs to claim silver behind Barbora Malikova of Czech Republic in the women’s 400mwas replaced by Lydia Jeruto because of her assignment of representing Kenya at the Federation of East Africa Secondary School Games (FEASA) in Gulu, Uganda.
The juniors will be accompanied former Athletics Kenya (AK) Nairobi branch secretary Florence Theuri as the chaperone and celebrated veteran youth and junior coach Robert Kiprop Ngisirei.
The athletes will do a mock run at the pavilion which is expected to attract exhibitors and delegations from other countries to Kenya’s stand as the country is famed for its athletics prowess the Sports Principle Secretary Ambasadeur Peter Kaberia and his Culture and Arts counterpart Joe Okudo give a presentation.
The delegation will be headed by the Cabinet Secretary for Ministry of Industry, Trade and Co-operatives
Adan Mohamed, the ministry’s Principle Secretary Dr Chris Kiptoo, and Export Promotion Council (EPC) chief executive officer Peter Biwott among others.
World Expositions are Global forums that provide opportunity for promoting economic growth and development through expansion of economic and commercial cooperation among member states.
EXPOs are regulated by the Bureau of International Expositions (BIE) in Paris France. Kenya is among the 169 member states of the BIE since 2008.