Photo via BBC Sport

African greats inspired by the potential of Nairobi 2029

Prominent African sporting figures have welcomed the selection of Nairobi to host the 2029 World Athletics Championships, viewing the tournament as a transformative milestone for the continent. Janeth Jepkosgei, who captured the women's 800-meter gold at Osaka in 2007 and now mentors runners, believes having three years to prepare will provide junior competitors with a tangible, motivating objective to pursue global glory on domestic turf.

African 100m record holder Ferdinand Omanyala, aged 30, drew personal motivation when Nairobi staged the 2017 World Under-18 Championships and anticipates that observing elite global competitors up close will energize emerging talent.

Field legend Julius Yego and Ethiopian distance icon Haile Gebrselassie, 53, both voiced hopes that Kenya's staging duties will embolden other nations, including Uganda, Rwanda, and hubs like Addis Ababa or Lagos, to seek premier competitions across athletics and the Olympic Games. The assignment comes amid a packed continental calendar featuring Dakar staging the Youth Olympics from October 31 to November 13, South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia co-organizing next year's men's Cricket World Cup, and Morocco joining Spain and Portugal for the 2030 men's FIFA World Cup, while Egypt and South Africa have previously registered ambition to host the 2036 Summer Olympics.