HE Major General Al Hamad extended his thanks and gratitude for the great support, care and attention athletics enjoys in Qatar, praising the sound guidance and continued backing of HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, committee president, and all officials at the committee. He also thanked HE Sheikh Saoud bin Ali Al Thani, deputy president of the Olympic Committee, for kindly opening the Asian athletics federation board meeting, and welcomed Lord Sebastian Coe, IAAF president, as well as his friends, the Asian Athletics Association board members and the federation’s working committees. Al Hamad addressed the importance of these two meetings, saying: “For the first time since I was elected president of the Asian Athletics Association, the vast majority of Asian national athletics federations have expressed genuine interest in attending, which enhances the value of our flag and our achievement, reflected in the members’ distinguished attendance. It is also important to address the changes proposed by Lord Sebastian Coe, which are expected to bring about a profound transformation in the IAAF’s structures. We therefore need to study all the possible implications in depth before the special congress convenes in Monaco on 3 December to adopt the reforms.” Al Hamad also highlighted Asian cooperation and unity through this gathering in Doha, coming eight months after the previous 84th meeting, expressing his pride at the continent’s federations coming together in Doha to work on a vision for the future and advance the sport on our continent.
Al Hamad had opened his remarks to the council by mourning two board members who had passed away, praising their contribution and dedication throughout their time on the board. He welcomed his colleagues on the board to their 85th meeting, wishing them a pleasant stay in Doha, the city of goodness and hospitality and the capital of sport, and hoping for further development of athletics on the Asian continent, and that the meeting would produce decisions and proposals contributing to progress and advancement. The meeting was then closed and discussions of the council’s agenda began, alongside meetings of the various committees that had convened the day before in Doha to discuss their development plans and programmes.
International press conference
HE Major General Dahlan Al Hamad, president of the Qatar and Asian athletics federations and IAAF vice president, will hold a joint press conference today at noon with Lord Sebastian Coe, IAAF president, and Nicolas Maurice, secretary general of the Asian federation, in the conference hall at the Marriott Hotel, to highlight the key decisions and recommendations of the board and working committee meetings and other developments concerning the sport’s continental future, in addition to explaining Lord Coe’s ideas and proposals on structural reform and good governance at the IAAF.
