Bakkali among top guns expected in next month's Kip Keino Classic

Reigning Olympics 3000m steeplechase champion Soufiane El Bakkali is among the high profile athletes who have confirmed participation in the World Athletics Continental Tour, Nairobi leg set for September 18.

The global body while announcing the dates for the tour which makes it return to Kenya for the second time disclosed that 52 seasoned athletes among Olympic and World champions who will compete for honours at the Kasarani Stadium. 

In the forthcoming season, the tour will have 12 legs in the golden category as opposed to last season where seven tours were held in different cities across the globe. 

Overall, in all the three tiers, 68 tours will be held unlike last years where 27 events were witnessed. World Athletics Chief Executive Officer Jon Ridgeon said that the body was committed in bettering the tours. 

"It is in our plan to grow the tours and improve the number of participants across all tiers. Last year, the Nairobi leg was successful and we are looking forward to this year's edition," he said 

Athletics Kenya director of youth and development who doubles up as the tour's director revealed that they had engaged the government with a view of having at least fans full up to the three quarters of the Kasarani Stadium. 

" The first edition was successful and we hope to achieve the same this year too. We have requested the government to have the facility littered with fans just to make the event more successful. There is a lot of interest from athletes from all over and I am optimistic that the entries will continue swelling, " he said. 

Apart from Bakkali, the event will be graced by Olympics 3000m steeplechase champion Peruth Chemutai of Uganda, reigning 800m World Champion Halimah Nakaayi. 

Commonwealth 400m champion Isaac Makwala of Botswana will light up the one lap race while World U20 1500m champion Diribe Welteji of Ethiopia has also confirmed participation.