"Countries that pulled out denied their young athletes their first international sporting experience especially at a time in their budding careers when they needed it the most, and also took away fun from them. It is a chance that has gone forever," Athletics Kenya (AK) Senior Vice-President Paul Mutwii noted.

"The idea of housing the youngsters in one place instead of different hotels was supposed to achieve a purpose and one only needed to be present at the athletes' village and the stadium to understand what I am talking about," he said.

Nairobi-based sports scientist, Bernard Migo, said the absentee athletes missed the opportunity to interact with the outside world and how to contribute to something bigger then themselves.

"Youth play sports to have fun, belong to a group, find excitement and gain recognition. Those whose countries pulled out missed a chance to help them improve their social interaction and confidence with their peers from around the globe," he noted, adding that he wouldn't be surprised if some of them opted out of sport.

Migo said being involved in athletic experiences is not just about winning or losing, but more about other issues like effort, skill-building and team participation.

"Even losing motivates athletes to work harder for next time and they view competition as opportunities to learn from their successes and failures; always trying hard to pursue excellence not perfection," the expert said.

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