Absa Bank Kenya has announced a Ksh. 60 million sponsorship of the national athletics season this year. Out of this amount, Ksh. 50 million will be utilised for the 2023 edition of the Kip Keino Classic Tour that will be held at the Moi International Sports Centre Kasarani Stadium on May 13th.
The remaining KES10 million will be used as leverage amounts to support subsequent events in the Kenya athletics calendar, including the Under 18 and Under 20 African Championships trials and the National World Athletics Bronze Cross Country and Sirikwa World Athletics Gold Cross Country which happened in February.
As preparations for the one-day international meet enter the homestretch, top track and field athletes across various categories have confirmed their participation, promising another action-packed leg of the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold event named after retired icon Kipchoge Keino.
The past three editions of the Kip Keino Classic have produced some of the most memorable moments in global athletics in recent years. Five-time 100M Olympic champion Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce (Jamaica) and sixth fastest woman of all Sha’carri Richardson (USA), two-time Olympic medallist sprinter Aaron Brown (Canada) are among the latest crop of elite athletes who will grace this year’s edition.
Some of the Kenyan stars who will torch the track include World 1500m Indoor Championship bronze medallist Abel Kipsang, Africa’s fastest man Ferdinand Omanyala and 800m Commonwealth gold medallist Mary Moraa.
Absa Bank Kenya Managing Director Abdi Mohamed had this to say, “Athletics is the heart of Kenya’s sports, and it plays to the betterment of our society. As a truly African brand, we are honoured to be part of the team shaping the success of the Absa Kip Keino Classic Tour for the third consecutive year as the official title sponsors.”
Principal Secretary, Ministry of Sports, Youth Affairs and the Arts, Hon. Jonathan Mueke, had this to say, “The government is taking sports and arts as an economic enabler and key to this identification, development and commercialising talent, especially among our young people. We thank Absa on behalf of the government and invite people from all walks of life to Kasarani as the event will be free of charge.”