After the ISF World School championship was concluded the athletes from all over the world had a chance to experience Kenya and all it had to offer. This was true to the President Ruto’s words during his speech at the Ngong race course where the athletes run and Kenya came first.
“Welcome to Kenya, to those who have come from far, this is home make it your home and know that Nairobi still has more to offer just make time explore Magical Kenya’. Said His Excellency William Ruto, the President of Kenya.
Most of the athletes in Team Uganda (under 12 and under 15) this was their very first time to visit a new country and as Ibn Battuta said “Travelling-it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller’.
A visit to the Nairobi National Park.
While they relaxed after a race day, the athletes visited Nairobi National Park, the oldest park in Kenya (gazetted in 1946). The athletes had a chance to walk at their own pace saw several animals for example the cheetahs, hyenas, buffaloes, giraffes, ostriches but to the awe of most Ugandans a crested crane.
A visit to the Bomas of Kenya.
Bomas of Kenya is a tourist village in Niarobi.Bomas means traditional villages belonging to several Kenyan tribes which simply justifies the several huts around the leafy area. A stone throw away from Nairobi National Park, Bomas of Kenya is home to one of the largest auditoriums in Africa. At this iconic location athletes planted trees.
The Friendship Relay
After a visit to the Nairobi National Park the athletes were put in groups from A to M, each country could only have one athlete per group and these run a short relay within the bomas of Kenya, handing over a baton (in form of a Masaai Irungu) to the next athletes. This race was purely a fun race and good way for athletes to know each other more and interact better.
This was after the visit to the Nairobi National park.
The closing ceremony/cultural night.
The crowning part of the whole championship saw athletes exchange different items, momentous and even jackets as souvenirs to take back to their various countries and continents. This was such a fun thing to do for all athletes that got a chance to exchange attire.
After all the exchanges came the cultural night, all athletes had to make a 3 to 5-minute presentation of their respective countries. The presentation could be dance or poem but most danced except for Ireland that presented a poem.
The performances were in alphabetical order and Uganda was the last one to perform before hosts Kenya crowned the event up. Throughout the performances anyone could join in and dance alongside the performers, everyone absolutely loved this part and will live to remember.
What the Uganda Athletes had to say.
“I am very happy to be here, this will inspire me to keep running and become a professional athlete”. Mercy Chemusto, Under 15.
“This is my first time to travel outside Uganda and I will stay in school so that I keep taking part in such activities”. Isaiah Kwemboi,Under 12.
