Nairobi
Athletics Kenya (AK) and the National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOC-K) have brokered a groundbreaking strategic sports alliance with the Croatian city of Varaždin, aiming to aggressively diversify the East African nation’s athletic portfolio ahead of hosting the 2029 World Athletics Championships.
Coming shortly after Nairobi’s successful bid to host the global track and field competition in 2029, the partnership signals a dramatic paradigm shift for Kenya, the undisputed global powerhouse of distance running, as it aims to build competitive depth in non-traditional events, specifically sprints, jumps, and throws.
Under the framework of the new agreement, elite Kenyan power and field athletes will relocate to Varaždin — a historic sporting hub in northern Croatia — for extended, multi-season training camps designed to bridge the transition from winter training into the summer competitive season. The primary objective is to grant Kenyan athletes structural access to the world-class training facilities and high-level European competition circuits they have historically lacked at home.
THE BUDAPEST PACT: Barnaba Korir (left) with Croatian athletics agent Duje Bonacci in Budapest, Hungary, where the duo finalized a strategic partnership to send Kenyan field and sprint athletes to train in Varaždin, Croatia, ahead of the 2029 World Athletics Championships in Nairobi. At centre is France-based sports manager Daniel Chirchir who midwifed the partnership. (Photo / Elias Makori)
The elite development pipeline will be supported directly by technical expertise from Croatian clubs, which boast a rich pedigree of Olympic success in field disciplines. Notable track and field icons, including former world high jump champion Blanka Vlašić, are slated to provide direct mentorship and technical oversight.
“Croatian coaches in Croatian clubs have much international success in these events,” noted international athletics agent and insider Duje Bonacci, who is facilitating the link. “I will be happy as manager to help both Kenyan athletes find and reach the meetings that can push the results to a higher level.”
Midwifed on the sidelines of the recent World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest, the alliance leverages Croatia's formidable history in technical field events, which includes producing multiple Olympic gold medalists such as discus legend Sandra Perković and javelin champion Sara Kolak.
France-based sports manager Daniel Chirchir (right) confers with Croatian sports official Duje Bonacci (centre) and Kenya's International Olympic Committee Member Paul Tergat in Budapest, Hungary. (Photo / Elias Makori)
For Kenyan sports planners, tapping into this specialized European knowledge base is critical to dismantling systemic barriers that have previously isolated Kenyan field athletes from the global podium.
“This will give great exposure for the athletes to break the barrier they were not able to break because they lacked the exposure,” Kenyan sprints coach Perpetua Mbutu said in Budapest. "Yes, we train well in Kenya, but we need more facilities that we can get in Europe, and in Croatia through the partnership."
Endorsing the initiative, Barnaba Korir, the Athletics Kenya Youth Development Director who also serves as the NOC-K First Deputy President, hailed the partnership as a critical evolutionary step for the country’s next generation of stars.
“Africa has never been short of talent, but we cannot always wait for Europe or America to build the biggest stages — we must proactively build our own athletes to conquer them,” Korir, who was also in Budapest for the meeting with Bonacci, stated.
Kenyan sprints coach Perpertual Mbutu with Croatoan official Duje Bonacci in Budapest. Mbutu says Kenya's sprints partnership with Croatia will give great exposure for the athletes to break barriers. (Photo / Elias Makori)
“By embedding our youth and field athletes into elite European systems early, we are ensuring that Kenya expands its dominance. This structural exposure is exactly what will transform us from a distance-running nation into an all-around athletics superpower.”
The strategic intervention arrives at a pivotal moment. Nairobi was recently awarded the hosting rights for the 22nd edition of the World Athletics Championships in 2029. By establishing this direct technical bridge to Europe, sports authorities in Nairobi are issuing a clear statement of intent: when the world descends on the Kenyan capital in 2029, the hosts intend to contend for global medals far beyond their traditional stronghold on the track.
Kenyan Olympic and athletics officials are expected to travel to Croatia next month to visit the facilities and subsequently put pen to paper for the initial activation of the training camps ahead of next year's World Athletics Championships in Beijing.
FAST FACTS: THE CROATIAN FIELD JUGGERNAUT:
Here is how Croatia's track and field pedigree will help shape Kenya's podium hunt for Nairobi 2029:
Discus Dominance: Croatia is a global powerhouse in women's discus, anchored by the legendary Sandra Elkasević (née Perković, above) — a two-time Olympic Champion, two-time World Champion, and seven-time European Champion. (Photo / World Athletics)
Javelin Glory: The nation boasts an elite javelin culture, famously highlighted by Sara Kolak (above), who stunned the world to win the Olympic Gold medal at the 2016 Rio Games. (Photo / World Athletics)
High Jump Heritage: Croatia’s technical expertise in jumps is led by one of history's greatest high jumpers, Blanka Vlašić (above) — a two-time World Champion, Olympic Silver and Bronze medalist, and holder of the second-highest outdoor jump of all time (2.08m). (Photo / World Athletics)
World-Class Coaching Ecosystem: Above: The Sloboda Stadion in Varaždin. Beyond individual stars, local clubs in cities like Varaždin maintain highly specialized coaching structures and elite indoor winter facilities designed specifically to build raw athletic power into technical, medal-winning precision. (Photo / Courtesy)
INSIDER PROFILE: WHO IS DUJE BONACCI?
Before establishing himself as an influential powerbroker in global athletics management, Duje Bonacci was an accomplished competitor himself. (Photo / Elias Makori)
The Man Opening up the Kenya–Croatia Athletics Pipeline:
To understand how Kenya managed to build a direct technical pipeline to the historic city of Varaždin, one must look closely at the central broker of the arrangement: Duje Bonacci.
An elite international track and field insider, Bonacci bridges the gap between grassroots athletics development, high-level sports administration, and European meeting structures.
The Athlete Foundation: Before establishing himself as an influential powerbroker in global athletics management, Bonacci was an accomplished competitor himself. He specialized in the technical field events he is now introducing to Kenyan athletes, boasting a lifetime High Jump personal best of 2.14 metres recorded in 1995.
Licensed Global Representative: Based out of Zagreb, Croatia, he is an officially licensed World Athletics Athlete Representative. He manages and guides several dozen elite track and field stars from various parts of the globe, focusing heavily on matching athletes with optimal training structures and European meeting circuits
Institutional Background: Bonacci holds deep institutional experience in public sports administration, having previously served as the Spokesman and Head of the Department for School and Recreational Sports within Croatia's Ministry of Science, Education, and Sports.
Digital Innovator: He is widely recognized in track and field circles as the developer and curator of TrackMeetings.info, a prominent data platform and community designed to streamline and improve track meeting logistics and results systems globally.
The Budapest Connection: By utilizing his deep ties within European track clubs, Bonacci has positioned himself as a key operational asset for AK. His explicit mission in this deal is to connect Kenya's non-traditional field and sprint prospects with the highly competitive, exclusive European track meets required to push their results onto the podium by Nairobi 2029.
