By John Kwoba


NAIROBI Mens Air Jordan Retro Shoes For Sale , June 13 (Xinhua) -- A total of 130 countries and regions including China and Jamaica have confirmed participation in the World Under-18 Athletics Championship, which will be held in Nairobi from July 12-16.


However, another power house in youth competition Japan has announced it will not be sending their team over security concerns.


However, World Under-18 Chief Executive Officer Mwangi Muthee said their withdrawal will not water down the level of competition as Kenya seeks to rule the roost in the very last of the youth championships before it is abolished.


Japan will join other six countries, who have opted out of the championships including giants U.S.A, Britain, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and Switzerland.


All the seven cited security concern and preference for the Youth Commonwealth Games to be staged in Nassau, Bahamas almost a week after as the reason for their withdrawal.


"We are busy politicking and not doing enough to bring these teams to Nairobi. Where are our foreign affairs, Interior and sports Cabinet secretaries? The world need reassurance and we need to act fast," said Muthee.


Poland and Iraq have confirmed they will be sending an early contingent in the country in order to acclimatize while countries like South Africa and Jamaica having already named their teams.


Among those in Jamaican team is fast-rising 200m sprinter Michael Stephens, who has set his sights on conquering Nairobi. "I was looking forward to facing the Americans," he told IAAF website.


"I'm really disappointed they won't be there." Nevertheless, the Jamaican's aspirations remain the same. "I trust that I will be healthy and regardless of whoever is there I'm looking forward to bringing home the gold medal."


Should he win in Kenya, Stephens will become the third Jamaican to lift the title behind Dexter Lee (2007) and Odail Todd (2011).


Muthee said that preparations are in top gear with 3,000 athletes and officials set top grace the youth competition.


Kenya is also hopeful it will parade the best team to be able to reclaim the overall title on the last round of the championships.


This will be last edition of the World U18 Championships after the IAAF Council decided to discontinue the youth championships after this 2017 edition in Nairobi.


The IAAF World U-18 Championships has proved a major stepping stone in the development of many of our sport' s stars since the first edition of the championships held in 1999 in Polish city of Bydgoszcz.


The last time Kenya emerged overall winners was at the sixth edition in 2009 held in Bixen, Italy where they collected 6 gold, 7 silver and 1 bronze medals.


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by Chen Jiabao


BANGKOK, Dec. 24 (Xinhua) -- The China-Thailand high-speed railway will upgrade Thailand's transport system and unleash economic potentials of region along the route, said a Thai expert.


Thailand will enjoy more economic benefits once the high-speed railway connects the country's capital Bangkok with China and other countries, which will help attract more foreign tourists and narrow regional economic disparity of Thailand, Huang Bin, China Research Institute director of Kasikorn Research Center in Thailand told Xinhua.


The construction of the first section of the railway line officially began on Thursday with a ground-breaking ceremony in the northeastern Thai province of Nakhon Ratchasima.


The 253-km first phase of the railway links Bangkok with Nakhon Ratchasima province. China is responsible for design of the railway, supervision of construction and manufacturing of trains and signal systems, among others.


Once completed, the railway with a maximum speed of 250 km per hour will be the first high-speed railway of Thailand.


The second phase of the project will link Nakhon Ratchasima with Nong Khai on the border with Laos, which connects with the China-Laos railway in an artery railway linking Thailand, Laos and China.


Huang, an expert who has been paying close attention to the project, looks forward to the operation of the railway. He envisions the boom of Thailand's economy in its northeastern part under the project.


Northeastern Thailand, a region with one-third of Thailand's land area that contains about one-third of the country's population, contributes only one 10th of the Kingdom's GDP, said Huang, adding that the poor transportation results in its sluggish development.


According to Huang, there are about 4,507 km of meter gauge lines in Thailand, of which 90 percent is still single track. There are also problems with old equipment, poor management and maintenance, and low speed.


As a result, the annual volume of railway freight is less than a 10th of the total transport volume. It is estimated that the cost of land transport is six times that of rail. Since rail does not offer an alternative, the logistics costs in Thailand are higher than those in other countries.


The China-Thailand high-speed railway project will help upgrade Thailand's railway system. It is foreseeable that the railway will bring wide-reaching connectivity in the country while reducing logistic costs, and thus make Thailand ASEAN's (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) trade and investment center, as well as a transport and logistics hub.


The China-Thailand railway will be finally connected with the China-Lao railway, thus using Chinese technolog. Authentic Stefon Diggs Jersey Shaquem Griffin Seahawks Jersey Saquon Barkley Kids Jersey Authentic Royce Freeman Jersey Roquan Smith Kids Jersey Richard Sherman Womens Jersey Patrick Mahomes Youth Jersey Nick Foles Youth Jersey Leonard Fournette Womens Jersey Josh Allen Bills Jersey