A month before the start of the Asian Championships and the arrival of athletes from various disciplines in Doha and at Aspire’s magnificent dome to take part in the 60m hurdles qualifiers as part of the women’s pentathlon, at the launch of the 7th Asian Indoor Athletics Championships, many long-standing records look set to fall, starting with the number of participating countries.
The current record for the number of countries taking part in the championships dates back to the 2008 edition, when delegations from 29 countries came to Doha, each fielding at least one athlete in pursuit of Asian sporting glory. With the number of countries that have confirmed their participation in the 2016 edition so far reaching 36, according to the preliminary entry list, it appears the first record will fall even before the official championships get under way. These thirty-six countries will be represented by a number of athletes ranging between 400 and 420, a figure that will itself represent a new championship record.
The host country is expected to field the largest delegation of athletes, breaking the previous record of 19 athletes (15 men and 4 women), also set in Doha in 2008. Given that Qatari athletics is going through a period of rapid development and has become one of the powerhouses of the sport in Asia, the Qatar Athletics Federation has named a squad of twenty-eight (28) athletes, comprising twenty-one (21) men and seven (7) women.
In remarks by HE Major General Dahlan Al Hamad, president of the Qatar and Asian athletics federations and vice-president of the IAAF, he said: the growing number of participating countries and athletes expected to attend the 7th Asian Indoor Athletics Championships in Doha reflects the great efforts made by the Asian Athletics Association and the Qatar Athletics Federation over the past two years to develop and spread athletics across the vast Asian continent.
The president of the Asian Athletics Association added: I am also proud of the significant increase seen in the number of Qatari women qualifying to compete in international championships in recent years. Qatar has made huge strides in developing women’s athletics, and we feel that our long-term plan will bear fruit soon.
As we reported previously, the Asian indoor high jump champion and continental record holder Mutaz Barshim will lead the efforts of the home athletes as they seek to repeat the feat of the 2014 team, which topped the athletics medal table at the Asian Championships in Hangzhou, China, with five (5) gold medals and three (3) silver medals. Qatar has won a total of 29 medals (16 gold, 9 silver and 4 bronze) since 2006, when Qatari athletes first took part in the Asian Indoor Championships, having been absent from the inaugural edition in 2004.
Barshim, who has chosen to limit his indoor competitions this season to focus on his main goal of the summer Olympic Games, holds, together with 60m specialist Samuel Francis, the record for the most cumulative gold medals (three each) across all editions of the Asian Championships, though their compatriot Mohammed Al Garni is the Qatari athlete with the most medals overall, having won five (2 gold and 3 silver), though unlike his two colleagues he competed in two events other than the 1500m and 3000m.
Qatari athletes also hold five Asian records: in the 60m (6.58 seconds, a mark held jointly by Samuel Francis and Femi Ogunode), the 1500m (3:40.86 by Thamer Kamal Ali), the 3000m (7:39.77 by Saif Saaeed Shaheen) and the high jump (2.37m by Mutaz Barshim). China, however, which has won a total of 44 gold medals over the past six editions, more than any other country, also tops the list of Asian records with eight records to their name.
The 7th Asian Indoor Athletics Championships will be held in Doha from 19 to 21 February, supported by Aspire and Aspetar, Qatar’s two giant sporting organisations, which have enjoyed a strong and trusted partnership with the Qatar Athletics Federation for several years.
