Page 18 - World Under 18 Championships

WORLD U18

Foreword

Introduction

HE Chief Executive Officer (CEO) assumed money than the budget the LOC had suggested to
focus on the championships after Ministry of Government.
TSports, Culture and the Arts (MOSCA) Kenya
Gazette Notice Number 5557 of 22nd July, 2016 New impetus

KYEB
rown into “deep end”
On my assumption of CEO role, I highlighted as
top priority, developing the competition, warm up
and training venues and the Athletes Village. The
Magnitude of the responsibility was obvious. It was a
Government was most supportive. It availed the
“blind date” for the CEO, albeit experience of man-
aging large international sports events having been
services of a team of (referred to as ‘Group 4’) of
gained at heading, for several previous years, the
architects, engineers (civil, water and landscaping)
and quantity surveyors. is is the group that put
Safaricom Sevens international rugby tournament
in Nairobi while serving as chairman of the Kenya
ideas of readying the venues into perspective and
directed the LOC focus in the planning.
Rugby Union (KRU).
With some members of the IAAF WU18
I must say that the prospects that the huge
Championships, Nairobi 2017 Local Organizing
hurdle of preparing the championships venue (Moi
Committee [LOC] and secretariat staff we sought
an immediate source of skills and good practice by
Athletes Village (Kenyatta University) would be sur-
mounted, was a morale boost to an LOC that had
attending the IAAF World Under-20 Championships
in Bydgoszcz, Poland between July 19th to July 25th International Sports Centre, Kasarani) and the
been in place for over a year and was suspect to de-
KENYA YEARBO0K
jection. But now energies arrived and the directorates
2016.
charged with various LOC roles, seeing light at the
end of the tunnel, embarked on planning execution.
First phase of LOC work
I would like to pay glowing tribute to the Directors
EDITORIAL BOARD
and Assistant Directors for their dedication (LOC
e IAAF WU18 Championships’ LOC, chaired by
Directorates indicated in the appendix).
Athletics Kenya President Lt-Gen Jackson Tuwei
but under a diff erent CEO (Mr Isaac Mwangi), had
been in existence since May 22, 2015. As many as 11
preparation meetings had been held at least between Secretariat
June 2015 and February 2016. From scratch, Ms Charlotte Kurgoy had the secre-
e LOC had engaged well in the planning for the tariat offi ce functioning, creating a focal point for
practical organisation of the event in accordance the LOC directorates. She brought the only working
with the Event Organisation Agreement (EOA) with knowledge of Athletics Kenya (AK) to Organisation
the IAAF (International Association of Athletics Member (OM) of the IAAF, the Event Owners (OA).
Federations) regulations. Ms Regina Gachora then came in as the Chief
But as incoming CEO, I found that the Host Operations Offi cer, bringing in very useful knowl-
Institution (Government of Kenya through the edge of big-event workings having been involved in
Ministry of Sports, Culture and the Arts – MOSCA the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. With just a
– had not yet addressed the critical issue of huge and few weeks to the Championships, the International
costly work of readying the competition, warm up Management Group (IMG) most effi ciently helped to
and training venues and also the accommodation of co-ordinate the event’s activities.
athletes, Athletes Village. is clearly involved more Excellent back-up for the Secretariat was pro-

18 | ACTIVITIES AND OCCURENCES DURING WORLD U18 CHAMPIONSHIPS