Bach, who travelled to there after visiting Botswana's capital Gaborone for the end of the 2nd African Youth Games, claimed that it was his ambition to see the continent host the Olympics for the first time. 

"Africa has produced excellent athletes and yet has not staged the Olympic Games," Bach told Reuters.

"We [at the IOC] would be happy to see a feasible bid from the continent,"

He made his comments while visitng Eldoret, a city famed for producing world-class runners some 350 kilometres north west of capital Nairobi, where he visited Honorary IOC member and Kipchoge Keino, a two-time Olympic gold medallist and regarded as the advance man for the current crop of Kenyans who dominate the sport. 

"As you know, since my election as IOC President, we are already discussing changes to bidding procedure under the framework of Olympic Agenda 2020 where we want to open doors to more cities and more countries to bid to organise the Games," Bach said.

There was tight security for Bach's visit following a series of terrorist attacks in Kenya. 

But he opened a classroom and multipurpose hall at the institution founded by Keino, chairman of the National Olympic Committee of Kenya. 

Before leaving, Bach promised the IOC would help in providing water, solar technology for electricity and a new school bus.

"We take this school as a serious project and I will return here hopefully soon to see how far the progress has gone," he told students.

"It is a shining example of how sport can be used to develop the youth as an educational facility started by one of the greatest stars of the Olympics Movement."

IOC President Thomas Bach met two-time Olympic gold medallist Kipchoge Keino, chairman of the National Olympic Committee of Kenya, in Eldoret ©IOC

Keino added: "The IOC has been the main funder for this school and we shall strive to develop our youth through sports and education.

"It has been a long journey but we hope that this will become one of the best examples of the spirit of Olympism by developing future heroes."

Bach also visited ongoing works at the Kipkeino Stadium in Eldoret where a new mondo track is being laid.

He was accompanied by Ezekiel Kemboi, the Athens 2004 and London 2012 Olympic 3,000 metres steeplechase champion. 

"We will see what we can do to make the rest of the facility become world-class," said Bach. 

Bach again claimed he was excited by what he had seen in Gaborone, where more than 2,500 athletes from 54 countries took part in the African Youth Games. 

"Olympism is not just about great athletes," he said.

"It is also about providing education and opportunity for the youth of the world to secure their future and also make the world a better place."

Bach is now travelling to Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa. 

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


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