BY RIZWAN REHMAT
DOHA: Asia is ready to usher in a new era in track and field when Doha stages the four-day Asian Youth Athletics Championships next month, top sports official Dahlan Al Hamad said yesterday.
The May 8-11 championships will be the first prime time competition for Asian athletes under the age of 17, details revealed yesterday.
The President of the Asian Athletics Association (AAA), Al Hamad, said: “This competition has been designed to push young athletes to aim higher. We firmly believe that the future of the athletics is in the hands of the younger generation.”
He added: “What we need to do is find ways to inspire them and engage them and the Asian Youth Athletics Championships is a perfect tool towards this direction.”
More than 400 athletes and an additional 170 officials, coaches and medical staff from 40 countries will camp at the Qatar SC Stadium for the four-day competition, Al Hamad said.
“Our strategic approach is to boost athletics and explore ways to encourage the youth in participating in sporting activities all across Asia. Our focus is on the long-term planning and the development of this amazing sport,” Al Hamad, also the President of Qatar Athletics Federation (QAF), said.
“We have worked hard, hand in hand with our trusted partners at the IAAF and the National Athletics Federations in order to deliver an exciting first edition of the Asian Youth Athletics Championships,” he said.
Al Hamad termed Asia as a “sleeping giant”.
“This is a figure of speech,” Al Hamad said with a smile.
“This does not mean we are not working. We represent half of the world in terms of population. There is huge potential in Asia,” Al Hamad pointed out.
“This event will make us aware of our potential. We only put the stress on giving the region’s youth the chance to rise.
“When we talk, yes we say that the whole (of) Asia (is) still not fully awake. When we calculate, we see that Asia is half of the world, population-wise. The economy of Asia is the biggest in the world and it will grow further. Sixty percent of the world’s youth lives in Asia. If we add all this together then we will see the biggest (athletics) movement in life,” he said.
The Doha leg had an added charm for Asia’s athletes: it serves as a qualification competition for those trying to win a berth at the 2015 IAAF World Youth Championships to be held in Cali, Colombia, from July 15 to 19.
“I am sure (AAA) member countries would want to be here in Doha. The number is really, really big. China is participating with 60 athletes. India is also sending a huge contingent,” Al Hamad said. “I know the AAA member states are pushing to participate in the Doha event.”
Qatar will field at least 20 athletes, Al Hamad said.
“We are around 20. We haven’t finalised our squad but we will be fielding at least 20 athletes,” Al Hamad said.
Oman features the second largest delegation with 30 athletes, ahead of India (26) and Kazakhstan (25).
The championships will commence on May 8 at 8pm with the Boy’s Decathlon 100m, but will officially kick-off at 5.30pm with the opening ceremony.
All disciplines, including the walking events, will be staged at the Suhaim Bin Hamad Stadium (also known as the Qatar SC Stadium).
Only athletes born between 1998 and 1999 are eligible to compete. Every athlete may enter in up to two individual events plus the relay and each country may register up to two athletes per event. Only the host nation holds the right to take part with a third athlete per discipline.
Al Hamad said the first Asian Youth Championships, held only a week ahead of the IAAF Diamond League Doha 2015 at the same venue, will be a benchmark event for the development of athletics in Asia.
“It is an honour and privilege, as President of the Asian Athletics Association, to fully embrace our motto: “Together moving forward,” Al Hamad said.
“I invite all friends of sport to come to the Stadium from May 8 to 11, cheer for the athletes participating and see the stars of tomorrow making their first steps towards sporting excellence,” he added.
Apart for the medal ceremony for the top three finishers per event, a diploma will be handed to athletes ranked in places four to eight.
“Make no mistake: we focus on a long-term strategy that will bear fruit in the years to come,” Al Hamad said.
“We fully understand that Asian athletics need to change and improve,” he said. “We are confident that our concerted efforts will be crowned by success.”
“We keep our eyes and ears open. We listen, learn and implement the best practices with a common goal: to raise the bar of youth athletics in Asia,” the QAF President added.
THE PENINSULA
