EDITORIAL: Juniors package good idea

The decision by Athletics Kenya and the government to cushion the country’s probables for the World Under-20 Athletics Championships from the adverse effects of the Covid-19 pandemic is laudable.

Kenya was slated to host the event from July 7-12 but World Athletics has postponed the junior championship owing to the pandemic. The new date is still unknown but AK has brought together young athletes with the potential of making the national team to prepare them psychologically.

In view of the scourge, funds that were meant for use in World U-20 training in April will now be sent directly to the juniors, who also attended similar camps in August and December last year.

The cancellation of all local sporting activities on May 14, just a day after Kenya recorded its first case of confirmed coronavirus infection, has left local athletes with no income. The juniors have been particularly hit hard as they have no other source of livelihood and most come from humble backgrounds.

AK has distributed cash and foodstuff worth Sh600,000 to the juniors in Machakos and Makueni Counties so far. This week, the federation will be in Rift Valley, Nyanza and western and central Kenya. With the U-20 championships likely to be pushed to 2021, local juniors should be ready for the event.

The cash awards to juniors comes after the Ministry of Sports released Sh21.9 million and assorted foodstuff to senior athletes to cushion them from the effects of Covid-19.

This is the first tranche of cash out of a total of Sh50 million that the government has put aside for Covid-19 stimulus package. The money will be distributed to athletes over three months.