The decision, made at an IAAF Council meeting in Dakar, marks the latest in a vast number of sporting events to be held in a city fast becoming a major player in the sports world, and known as Russia's "Capital of Sport".

Last July Kazan hosted the Summer Universiade, for which a state of the art stadium with 22,600 seats and an adjacent indoor stadium for warming up was built as well as an Athletes' Village, all of which will be presumably used again in 2016.

Kazan has hosted many sporting events including the Summer Universiade last year ©Getty Images



The city in the Tartarstan region, Russia's ninth most populous, will also host the 2014 World Fencing Championships, the 2015 FINA World Aquatics Championships. as well as matches during the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup and the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

The event also marks the latest in Russia's "Decade of Sport", which has already included the 2013 World Athletics Championships in Moscow and the recent Olympic and Paralympic Games in Sochi, with the 2016 World Ice Hockey Championships and the 2019 Winter Universiade in Krasnoyarsk among others to be held. 

The World Junior Championships have been held biannually since 1986 for the best under-20 athletes in the world, with the last edition held in Barcelona in 2012 and the next to take place this summer in Eugene, Oregon.  

In other business at the Council meeting, a full status report was delivered from the organisers of the 2015 IAAF World Championships in Beijing, as well as presentations from the all the IAAF Area Associations.

No fewer than 11 IAAF Committee and Commission reports were also studied, with the next Council meeting to take place in Eugene shortly before the World Junior Championships begin on July 22. 

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


Related stories
April 2014: El Moutawakel refuses to rule out bid for IAAF Presidency to replace Diack
March 2014: FINA announces hosts for Championships in 2015 and 2016
February 2014: Sports Minister rules out Russian bid for 2024 Summer Olympics and Paralympics
December 2013: Russia launches bid to host IAAF Diamond League meeting
November 2013: Russia awarded 2014 and 2015 World Fencing Championships