Athletics Kenya (AK) Youth Development Chairman Barnaba Korir has revealed plans to launch an African Athletics Series, an ambitious initiative aimed at nurturing, elevating, and showcasing the continent’s vast pool of talent.
Speaking in Nairobi on Wednesday, Korir said the concept is already gaining momentum, with groundwork underway and consultations ongoing among Kenya, Ethiopia, Nigeria, South Africa, and Botswana, countries earmarked as the cornerstone nations for the proposed circuit.
“We are in the development stage of a new African Series for athletics. Kenya will take the lead, and we have Ethiopia, which has already upgraded the Addis Ababa Grand Prix to gold level, alongside Botswana, South Africa, and Nigeria,” said Korir.
Now in its seventh edition, set to be held this Friday, April 24, at Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi, the Kip Keino Classic broke new ground in 2020 when Kenya became the first African nation to stage a gold-level World Athletics meet, setting the pace for the continent’s growing influence on the global circuit.
Ethiopia recently staged the inaugural Addis Ababa Grand Prix over the weekend. Initially a bronze-level meet, it earned a swift upgrade to gold status following its resounding success.
Botswana is set to host the Botswana Golden Grand Prix on April 26, a gold-level event, while South Africa is preparing for the inaugural Simbine Classic on April 28, a silver-level competition with strong prospects of elevation.
Nigeria, though yet to host a World Athletics-sanctioned meet, remains a proven powerhouse in staging major continental events, including the African Games and African Championships.
With these countries now hosting major track and field events, Korir believes the foundation is strong enough to build a formidable African circuit capable of rivaling Europe’s well-established athletics ecosystem.