NAIROBI, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- Kenya will require about 10 million U.S. dollars to sponsor several teams to compete in international competitions, including Olympic Games qualifiers this year.
Sports Principal Secretary Peter Kaberia said on Thursday that a bid by Kenya to have the Safari Rally return to the World Rally Championships (WRC) will see the country spend half of the amount to host the event in June as part of WRC.
"We have government commitment to have the safari rally be part of the WRC and we are going to spend 4.5 million U.S. dollars to have it as one leg of the World Rally," said Kaberia on Thursday.
The Safari Rally was part of the WRC 14-leg circuit but was dropped in 2002 with global motor rallying body FIA citing lack of government support, security and high cost to the manufacturers cars involved owing to its dusty and muddy terrains.
But Kenya has worked round the clock to address the concerns and FIA President Jean Todt said they are happy with the organization and will have the race as a candidate event for the 2019 season with hope to reinstate it back to the WRC in 2020. The WRC is held in all the other five continents apart from Africa.
According to Kaberia, other major events coming up include next month's Kenya Open Golf, which will cost two million U.S. dollars. The golf event is part of the international European Tour series.
Kenya's football team Harambee Stars, who have qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations finals in Egypt in June will chalk up $2.5 million in preparation and participation in the tournament. It will be the first time that the east African team will be returning to the competition since 2004 in Tunisia.
"The ministry will also require another $700,000 to begin preparations for next year's IAAF World Junior Championships," said Kaberia.
The total budget to stage the IAAF top junior competition is pegged at $20 million with teams from all over the world expected to converge in Nairobi in June 2020.
However, Kaberia said lack of funding has led to stalling of renovation and building of new stadia in Kenya. This has had dire consequence on the country's bid to stage international competition. The major culprit was Confederation of Africa Football (CAF) withdrawing Kenya's hosting right of the 2018 Africa Nations Championships and giving it to Morocco.
"We had planned to build seven regional stadia but this has not been possible owing to lack of funding. That is why the country lost the opportunity to host last year's Africa Nations Championships," he added.
At the same time National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOCK) says it will offer an additional $120,000 to 22 sports federation in their bid to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.
"We have been working round the clock to see that more sports federations qualify for the Olympics and with this help we are offering, we help they can compete," said Paul Tergat, NOCK President.
