HE Major General Dahlan Al Hamad, President of the Asian Athletics Association, held the traditional gala for heads of delegations taking part in the 17th Asian Youth Athletics Championships, at the Nahat Saigon Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, on the sidelines of the championships. The event was attended by a number of Asian Athletics Association board members alongside the heads of delegations of the 40 countries competing in Vietnam, as well as the championships’ organising committee and the Asian Athletics Association’s technical committee.
The event drew great appreciation from the heads of the participating delegations for Major General Al Hamad’s leadership of the Asian Athletics Association and his strong focus on developing the sport among youth and juniors, whom he regards as the foundation for developing athletics for the future.
Major General Dahlan Al Hamad said he was pleased that the Asian continent had come together for the first time in a youth championships of this scale, one of the Asian Athletics Association’s important events on the youth calendar set by the IAAF. He said the gala, while traditional at every athletics championships, held special importance for him in leading Asian athletics towards development, reflecting his tireless work and meetings with the various federations. Al Hamad stressed his keen interest in staying in touch with all Asian federations in the service of athletics across the countries of the world’s largest continent in terms of human resources, noting that the key goal for everyone was developing the abilities of Asia’s youth for their best achievements at their age, which would lead them to greater things in the future. Major General Dahlan Al Hamad wished Asian athletics success in continuing to build on a strong foundation by focusing on the different age groups for the best future achievements, and extended his thanks to Vietnam for hosting the event and bringing together the continent’s youth for their best future achievements.
A number of heads of the participating delegations expressed great appreciation for Al Hamad and the efforts and ideas he has put into serving Asian athletics, to the point that its championships now attract the largest possible participation.
At the close of the gala, Major General Dahlan Al Hamad was honoured by the organising committee of the Asian Youth Athletics Championships. Al Hamad in turn honoured the IAAF, represented by Prince Nawaf bin Mohammed Al Saud, President of the Saudi Athletics Federation and an IAAF Council member. Maurice Nicholas, Secretary General of the Asian Athletics Association, and the championships’ organising committee were also honoured by the Asian Athletics Association with commemorative shields carrying their own special meaning.
